Can I Join You
by Snakealien
Summary: This will be centered around Aelita getting a grant and scholarship for her intellect to go toa world known school in the U.S. Jeremie and his brain can't change this or join it. So the others say farewell for now and Aelita will meet Nathan. They become
1. Chapter 1

The Letter

It's after school and the gang is messing around in Jeremie's dorm room. Xana is no problem and Aelita is free from his viral grasp. A year has passed since the Xana era ended and the gang had focused on grades and social fun life. Aelita learned a lot about human life and being human, her relationship with Jeremie grew much more and with Odd as well. She had the love of her life and a budding close friendship with another. Well sparks are indeed to fly soon, eh? As for Ulrich and Yumi, these two still have a shy barrier between them and seeing others to hide their true feelings of each other. So we last left the gang in Jeremie's room where things will drastically change.

"Man I can't believe that Sissy fell for that!" Odd laughed out loud, accompanied by everyone else.

"I know, you tell her one thing about her complextion and she goes to the nearest bathroom to set up a dressing room slash emergency stuck up princess hospital." Yumi laughed.

Suddenly all was quieted when a knock on the door sounded. Ulrich got up and answered it, it was Jim, with mail.

"Oh hello Jim!" Ulrich and the others said cautiously.

"Good evening you guys, I hope you do remember that curfew begins in ten minutes? Well anyways, mail for……..(sifting through letters)…..for Aelita Stones." Jim pulled out a simple but thick letter from the pile in his hands.

Ulrich took it and kinda closed the door on Jims nose.

"I wonder what it could be?" Aelita looked perplexed.

"Maybe it's fanmail from those kids you donated those cans of food too?" Odd tried to solve the mystery.

"Here you go." Ulrich gave it to her.

Aelita opened the letter and carefully took out several folded papers in a bulk. She took the first one and soon she grew a look of happiness and unbridled joy. She held the letter in one hand as she embraced Jeremie as if he'd just given her a wonderful present. The others wanted to know as much as Jeremie what the occasion was.

"So…..you gonna…..tell….us what the letter….is about?" Jeremie tried to get out of the suffocating hug.

"Oh your never going to believe this! Remember those Universities you and I sent in our applications too?" she said with glee.

"Yes?" he responded trying to recall all of that.

"Well…..they said we got through!" she jumped up and down on the bed sitting.

"Awsome…." That is all he could muster.

Till now the others where left out of the fun, till Yumi broke in.

"Wait, if you two got into that school then wouldn't you have gotten a letter as well Jeremie?" Yumi said in a thinking fashion.

"Yes that quite right, Jim must be going in alphabete order. I should go see him right now and get immediate conformation." Jeremie fixed his glasses and took out the door slightly worried.

The gang in the meantime talked about life at a university and more so in a new school to train or study for that specific university that was required. Until Jeremie came back with a pondering face looking to the ground. The others felt uncomfortable and worried as well, they watched him sit down in his desk chair and stare to the desk, turning on the computer, accessing the universities website and user info, and then looking like he'd seen a ghost.

Aelita walked to him and turned his chair so he and she were facing each other.

"Jeremie your making us feel bad, what's happened?" her pain awoke Jeremie from his sullen mood and back to reality.

"I just found out……..only you are going to that university……I didn't make it." He said plainly and without emotion.

Aelita was dumb struck, she could believe it.

"Are you sure your letter didn't get lost in the mail system?"

"No, I check out the uni's webpage and my account. It reads that due to over entries, there's just not enough room for the both of us to go together."

"That's just like schools elsewhere." Odd said with sarcasim.

"What university is it your trying to get into may I ask?"

"A United States based, highly known as one of the worlds top educational facilities." Aelita said mimicking her loves behavior and sitting down on the bed reading the other contents of the scholarship and grants she and Jeremie worked so hard at getting.

"Well can't you go to the others around the world?" We could but those other places don't have what we need to get our degrees correctly and on the first time." Aelita threw the papers to her side.

"Wow, you guys are in one serious pickle." Odd remarked trying to lighten the mood.


	2. Chapter 2

Future Help

In the U.S., at the preparatory school Aelita would soon be going to a boy she would meet will learn of her very soon.

"Hey, did you hear of that new kid from France?" Guerrmo asked walking up to Nathan in his letterman jacket.

"Ya, should be coming in sometime next week. Well they'll get an introduction here they won't forget if they stumble on Kathleen's Gang." Nathan responded to with a pissed off look when he saw Kathleen's gang coming to them.

"Speak of the devil here they are." Guerrmo whispered.

The leader girl and three of her male cronies stared at the two as they walked by. Both boys returned the gesture and caught the anger of Aaron, the annoying one.

"Hey fool, you got a problem?" they all stopped.

"Man you know the rules, I am not going to get suspended over your pathetic ass." Nathan answered back with a tired voice.

"What did you say?" Aaron tried to start something.

The boys walked off to the library and into the view of a campus security guard, Aaron just forgot about them and joined his gang. Funny though, as they walked up the stairs Kathleen slapped the back of his head in frustration.

In the library, Guerrmo separated to locate his girlfriend. Nathan left to the main desk and put on his tag, he worked in the library during six period. There one of the librarian assistants was on her computer stopped to say hi as the boy took his sit on the floor in wait.

"Hey, how's everything going?" Mrs. Bella asked.

"Ah just the usual, easy school, Kathleen and her idiots messing with us, and bells just about to ring." The bell rang just as he finished.

Mrs. Bella laughed slightly and got up to put some change in the drawer.

"Well when Jessica gets here, you guys can go and clean the shelves remember?" she said.

"Oh ya, when she gets here I'll try and get her to do some work." He giggled at the thought.

"She doesn't like to do manual labor." Mrs Bella joked.

"Can I ask you something? Do you know anything about the new French kid coming in?" Nathan got up to check in a book from a student and a teacher with a library video.

"Na, but I do know she is expected to work in here this period I believe. You going to teach her the ropes?" Mrs. Bella smiled.

"Oh it's a girl? Well I can at least show her who to trust and who to say away from. But beyond that I can't really offer much except….." He stopped when Jessica walked in all out of breath carrying her binder and stuff.

"Sorry I'm late; I had to go to my car." She organized her self.

"Hey Jessica you ready to clean the shelves?" Nathan asked.

She whined but complied when Mrs. Bella urged her too do some work. But Jessica acted stubbornly as they began to remove the books and shelf's to clean the case area.

"I hope the new girl isn't as frustrating as she is." He mumbled and luckily Jessica didn't hear him.


	3. Chapter 3

Interject

Day later, it is Saturday and the weather was perfect to play some paintball. Nathan and Guerrmo ate breakfast, exercised or stretched for the sport, got their gear together, headed off to the field in Guerrmo's super cab truck. They took some cups of coffee with them for some energy.

The drive would be no less then twenty minutes or so, but the radio was getting really old really fast.

"Man isn't there anything on this rock station?" Nathan complained.

Guerrmo driving, "there hasn't been any good hits lately and the CD players busted."

Nathan humfed and took a sip of coffee looking out the window, "Say, you think that girl is cute?"

"Who the one from France or Kathleen?" Guerrmo joked.

"Hey! I was talking about the one from France. You think she'll be cute?" Nathan said as he put his cup down and fiddled with his mask.

"I think you mean will she be the one?" the jokester said with a smirk.

"What's that mean!" Nathan responded

"Man everyone knows you so why hold it back?" Guerrmo talked in a annoyed tone.

Nathan knew what he meant, but he didn't want to show it. He looked out the window and no one talked till they arrived at the field. The boys unpacked their gear and headed to the paintball station. They had on camouflage pants, grey shirts with a plus signs in the center, and tank green navy jackets. Nathan paid for admission to the field and 50,000 rounds for their guns. Guerrmo took the gear and found a empty table for their stuff, it is busy today.

"Well looks like we got some target practice." Nathan laughed as he walked up to their table.

"Ya, but I challenge you to a duel in the bunker field. I win you will admit that no girl here has taken your heart and deep down you are hoping this new one is the right one for you. You win and I will never bother you about this again. Deal?" Guerrmo stuck his hand out for an agreement.

However Nathan was hesitant to go along with it, he contemplated on it for a few seconds and at the last minute he shuck his friends hand to seal the deal.

"Alright! Well get your Syder Xtra ready and I'll see you on the field. Oh and don't forget to chrono!" Guerrmo shouted as he ran off to claim the field.

The Game Ends

The winner was Guerrmo, he won by a lucky shot to the head and groin. He walked up to Nathan trying to hold back the pain.

"So a deals a deal, spit it out." He grinned.

"Arrhh, fine I have never found happiness in any of our schools girls. I am wishing this girl will be the one I've been looking for." Nathan spit out as he clutched his groin.

"Ha ha ha, now was that so hard?" Guerrmo rubbed salt into the scratch.

"I guess not, but did you really have to aim there?" Nathan brushed off the paint and went to the bench to refill.

"Nothin wrong with a little pain. So you going to be the one to guide her around our humble home?" Guerrmo brought up an important question?

That's it me readers, what ya tink? Send in reviews or visit me forum for a more detailed response to my writing and what is needed.


	4. Chapter 4

Packen

Soon, the day came when Aelita had to start to pack her things from Kadic. She began in the afternoon, her suitcases on her bed and filled with her belongings. But her mood through the day was sort of a sulky one. None of the others visited her today nor did she see any of them. It's not like them to be busy, maybe they're purposely avoiding her.

Aelita forgot about the train of thoughts and turned on her CD stereo to avoid any more thinking. She listened to a few electronica DJ's and a little Korn's song "Alone I Break". The music dispelled any frustration that started to grow in her, so she remained herself but without the innocent joy. It was not till three did she finish, did a subtle knock on the door echoed.

"Hmm, I wonder who that is?" Aelita walked to the door and opened it.

She had it half way open and there was Jeremie moving his head into view. Aelita's eyes opened with curiosity and waited for his smiling face to say something.

"Well?" she asked.

"Oh um hehe, me and the others got a little present for you. It's why we were so scarce lately." Jeremie had on a happy face and hoped for the best.

"Go on?" she let her frustration drain from her when she saw some tickets in his hands.

"We all got tickets to the carnival down at the park!" a big grin spread across his face as he waved the pieces of paper in the air.

Well, Aelita just filled up with joy and glee. She immediately jumped into him and they fell into a loving embrace.

"Thank you so much Jeremie! Now I can leave with the best day of my life together with my friends!" she cried out and began to cry teardrops.

"Come on Aelita, lets not keep the others waiting. Yumi's parents are taking us in their car.

The couple raced down the stairs, flew to the car, and soon where dropped off to the entrance of the carnival. There Aelita thanked and personally hugged each of her other friends before they got the gates. The gang entered to park and they looked into the map. They rode rides, ate carnival foods, watched a man wrestle an alligator while teaching the audience of the animal, toured an old WW II bomber hanger, and rode the thrill rides. Aelita and Odd shared the seat on a weird conveyor belt like spinning Ferris wheel. The funny thing is, Jeremie never heard Odd scream so loud from being spinned around while going around the belt into the air and to the ground. As well as seeing Aelita calm throughout the ride but enjoying herself nonetheless. Our heros stayed till the evening, Yumi calling her parents for permission, Odd even meet a girl to join with him and the others as they watched a hockey game. Jeremie memorized the rule book pamphlet the cheer leaders handed out and helped Aelita learn the ways of the game and why the players smashed each other against the glass. Though Ulrich kept his eyes on the cheerleaders too long and had Yumi elbow him in the ribs.

As the game drew to a close by a shot out, they checked the watch on Odd and after the game ended, they left. They all where able to fit into Yumi's parents car because they upgraded to a fuel economic SUV so each sat with their affectionate connection. Outside the streetlights passed, the parents asked the kids about the day, and they all yawned with sleep. Jeremie and Aelita rested on each others shoulders while Odd had his head on Aelita's free shoulder and he didn't even snore. Yumi and Ulrich put some space between them but before they where half way to the school, they nearly cuddled and napped.

Arriving at the school, Yumi's mom woke them up and the others, excluding Yumi, got off and said their goodbyes. Jim was there to escort them into the school after they called the school in advance. Jeremie and Aelita held hands together and as she was to retire to her room. She gave a pure kiss on the lips of Jeremie and closed her door to the stunned kid.

Unfortunately, this night would be the last one since tomorrow she would leave via the airport. But going to sleep she recanted on the events earlier, who she held his hand most of the time, the qualitiy time they spent, and her kiss she gave him. She laughed and soon drifted on to sleep. Maybe this new school won't make her forget her friends?

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	5. Chapter 5

Almost There

It was the day, the day Aelita was to set off to the prepatory school to get into the university that she and Jeremie had originally set for. But due to overcrowding only she was to go and with the encouragement of everyone she went with it. That morning Jeremie and the others were allowed to say goodbye to her at the airport. Odd of course was taking some sites of airport food with Ulrich, Yumi and Jeremie sat with Aelita and talked of old times, and Jim was there keeping an eye on them and to return them back home after Aelita left. Tears were shared and laughs had been loud, as she boarded the plane her closest friends watched her from the window.

"I can't believe it, we are no longer a full gang like we use to be." Yumi said depressed.

"I'm going to miss her." Odd said sadly

Ulrich didn't say a thing.

"Please stay safe Aelita and come home to us in one piece." Jeremie pleaded under his breath.

The plane began to taxi off and Jeremie seemed to be grasping at the plane from the window. Yumi felt his pain.

"Alright you guys, I'm afraid it's time to go. We will see her again in a matter of time just be happy for her." Jim said to the students and they slowly tore their gaze from the window and sullenly walked to the car back to school. Ulrich and Yumi put a hand on Jeremie's shoulder as they walked out, Odd gave him a burger he got to get his mind somewhat free.

"Come on Jeremie we can still see her through the video email remember?" Odd tried to cheer up the mood and surprisingly he was successful.

"That's right!" Jeremie changed from looking dead to the car floor to an amazed and stunned face with a creeping smile.

At the Prep school

Nathan was in his dorm room. Lately he had been staying at home but things had been going pretty sour between his parents and siblings. Not to mention school to add. He had a rage growing that day and finally let it out in his room. He punched the wall, the pillows, swung at imaginary people until he tired himself out. Then he broke down crying on the ground, sobbing out "Why am I acting like this, there's no reason for it son of a…..why am I angry!" he spoke out and banged his head to the floor. He fell asleep on the floor that night till morning.

His alarm clock woke him up and it was like he never did anything violent that night. He couldn't recall last night but felt hungry and needed to wash up. Doing just that, Nathan got to the cafeteria and took some hearty meals with him, paid the lunch lady, found an empty table, and ate. Guerrmo showed up soon and his face wore a worried look.

"Hey, I just went to your room to get you and it looks like two ninjas duked it out in there!" the boy said stunned.

"Hmmm…..I don't remember anything last night. Maybe I was too tired and fell asleep without noticing." Nathan shrugged it off, not really recalling anything at all.

"Jez all those holes in your walls and floor you should see the janitor about it." Guerrmo sat down and finished, but he saw redness on his friends knuckles.

He summed up some reasons he'd want to just go nuts in his room but no results. So Guerrmo figured some things are best left unsaid.

"So did you volunteer to help that student coming in?" Guerrmo changed the subject.

"Yes I did, me and two of this schools represenitives will meet her on the bus along with the other students who just signed in at the last moment." Nathan said as he put down a waffle into his mouth.

"Wow, more newbie's." Guerrmo said pretending to be shocked.

"Yup more meat for Kathleen and her boys to mess with." Nathan shook his head in a no fashion.

A few minutes passed and Nathan got up to throw his tray away. The bus would be leaving soon so he bid goodbye for now to his old friend and left the cafeteria. Boarding the bus, doing a check list for the future new students seats, and helping the represenitives with their presentational equipment Nathan left on the bus to the airport. It would be noon before the kids would arrive, boy would they have one reception party getting on school grounds.

Send in ya reviews and don't forget me forum incase you have more to say of me stories. Kay?


	6. Chapter 6

First Glance

The bus ride was a little entertaining to Nathan as the bus drove to the airport. The rising sun blinking as the passing buildings rose up and down. The ride was even more pleasurable with the buses AC on. From the back seats he stared outside for most of the trip till they parked and he, with the represenitives, walked to the gate for the pickup. The hustle and bustle of the airport wasn't as bad as anticipated by the principle so finding their gate wasn't so hard after all. The two men sat down and he a seat away from them looking over the newbie's transcripts. Flipping through them he located Aelita Hopper, hers was slightly thicker then all the rest. Opening it he found she was one of the top students where she came from, her grades were admirable and the extra curricular activities had been almost done.

He was stunned at all she accomplished under such small period of time. What kinda girl was she? Nathan closed the transcripts folder when the plane carrying the new students finally came in and started taxiing to the gate. The men got up and fixed their coats and prepared for these new kids, though one could tell they were feeling cautious.

A few minutes later, the first of them walked out and was directed by an airport official to the seating area in front of the represenitives. Nathan took a seat parallel to the left side of the two men and didn't want to look at the kids. Instead he attempted too look like a seasoned student with a intimidating look to him. He did this only because he was afraid of who these new guys where, for fear some may be another Kathleen or her cronies.

Thankfully they where quite well behaved and listened inventively to the represenitives talk. When the orientation was done with, they all got up and walked to the bus waiting for them in an orderly fashion. Walking ahead of the students, Nathan got on the bus and claimed his seat. Putting the transcript folder next to him so no one would sit with him. But luck would have it one of the two men needed it to distribute early. So he sat and nervously, awaiting for someone to sit next to him. They all got on and it seemed that they all where in a small enough number that seats where no problem. Yet this girl, the last to board, walked down the aisle and chose to sit on the seat Nathan was sitting on.

He kept his stare to the window but felt his body react to her action. Sweat started to poke out of his flesh, his heart beat sped up, and his felt nervous. But this girl just sat down and looked around then at him.

"Hello, are you a student of this school? I don't remember seeing you on the plane." She asked.

The world seemed to be swaying a little when she said that but he quickly adapted.

"Yes I am a student, I am here to help a certain person around the four section of the school." Nathan said in an evasive tone.

"There's sections?" she seemed curious.

"Ya, schools split into four areas. Each pertaining to the dorms and classes of one's school grade." He choked out.

"Oh I didn't know, is it more efficient to have this like it is?" the girl seemed so innocent and yet so annoying, maybe it's the effect of her on him.

"Look when we get there the principle will give you all another orientation and papers to make your stay here easier." He snapped.

"Well you don't have to act like that." She said offended.

She made him feel bad, "Fine, I just don't like being around a lot of people. I expected to find my pair and everything would have been a lot more easier." He said annoyed.

"Then who is your partner? What are you suppost to do when you find them?" she pressed on.

"I chose to help this student around the school and with it's social life. That person is a she, goes by the name of Aelita….Hopper I think?" he found himself trying to remember his assigned student.

"Your assigned to help Aelita Hopper? My names Aelita Hopper." She said feeling weird.

'Oh crap' Nathan said in his mind.

"I'm sorry for acting like that, but I speak the truth. I don't do well in crowds and near…uh…girls." The last part he mumbled.

Aelita gave him a short cold shoulder.

"Look, you'll need me if your going to survive here, there's a lot of sharks and piranhas scowering the halls. You wouldn't last a day if she found you." He whispered loudly to the girl looking away. "Fine, be like that you will be in so much shit when Kathleen finds you. I'll be watching her make a mockery out of you and your friends here!"

"Just leave me alone!" the pink haired girl shouted standing up.

"Excuse me young lady please stay seated while the bus is in motion." One of the men raised his voice with the silence of the kids there.

"I apologize sir." She said taking her seat.

"I have said I'm sorry and told you why you and me have to stick together. It's your own choice to side with me unless you want your first stay here to be a troublesome one. I know what I'm talking about okay?" Nathan tried to justify himself.

"I think I am a big girl, I can handle myself." She snapped at him.

'Suit yourself angel, your in for a surprise of your life.' Nathan said in his head.

The bus finally arrived to the school and Nathan was allowed to be first to get off with the two men and direct the kids to the new gym for another orientation. As Aelita walked off the bus, she paid no heed to him but he did to her.

'Wow, she has a nice build…..hey Shut It!" he slapped his devious mind out of conscious thought. Nathan yanked his eyes from her and talked to the represenitives for awhile as they walked behind the students. He found out it was just about to be fifth period for classes so he decided to linger with the group a little longer. On the way to the new gym he spotted one of Kathleen's cronies teasing a few of the newbie's as they walked by him. Not Aaron this time, it was Thomas and he started pushing some of the guys in the line. Nathan walked fast so Thomas could see him, he did and stopped right away.

"Hey leave'em alone fool!" Nathan said pissed off.

"What you gonna do about it punk!" Thomas spit.

"You really think you can take me without help." Nathan got the last word and the smart ass walked off steaming. Nathan turned to the few newb's who stopped to watch, "Okay shows over keep walken, you can thank me by just steering away from him and his groupies.".

Everyone sat in the gyms benches and all went as planned, they got their stuff and headed off to their new rooms. Nathan got credit for his classes that day for helping and he got to see the face of his partner for the semesters. Though will Aelita heed his warning of Kathleen and side with him during her stay?

Send in your reviews and don't forget the forum.


	7. Chapter 7

Rescuing

Aelita made her way through the school with the others she came with. Checking out her future classes and the ways around the school. The school itself seemed the same as Kadic but much warmer and the students here were not very outgoing to them. Her and the others were like ghosts in their eyes, not even so much as a hello from anyone. Yet through all that Aelita kept her optimism up and at the end of the day she retreated to her dorm room. Thankfully two of the girls she came with where her dorm mates in their three bed room.

"Wow, so where are you from Terra? Kila?" Aelita asked as she and the two girls sat on the floor gossiping.

"Well I am from Japan, though my parents are American, they moved there before they had me. I must tell you, they have the most wonderful gardens and crystal shards imaginable." Terra answered dreaming off into her memories.

"I'm from Great Britian, oh they have the most delectable treats. Your taste buds will go to heaven!" Kila smiled licking her lips recalling the last dessert she had before coming here.

"Where are you from?" Terra snapped out of her day dreaming and smiled to Aelita.

"I'm from Kadic Jr. High of France, there it is famous for having best friends anyone could ever find." Aelita verged on tearing as her heart wrenched remembering the gang.

"Are you crying?" Kila asked as she started eating a blueberry muffin.

"Oh no, I just got some dust in my eye." Aelita sniffled saying a white lie.

She and the two girls laughed and talked till it was time to sleep. They all wore their night wear and bid each other good night. Yet Aelita didn't sleep till eleven at night, she was crying to much before that missing her friends to much. She literally cried herself to sleep that night but dreamt of a great moment when Xana was finally destroyed and the earth was saved.

Next Day

Aelita woke up feeling great, Terra and her had to spend five minutes trying to wake up Kila. Man that girl can sleep through a massive thunderstorm. They got her up and after telling her that breakfast was ready, she jumped into her morning routine. They all met in the cafeteria after washing up and sat at a table with all the other new students. Everything felt perfect to Aelita, nothing bad happening yet.

"Kila! You can sure eat." Terra watched the girl, stunned, eat through a huge stack of pancakes and eggs.

"She reminds me of Odd." Aelita laughed out.

"Who's Odd?" Kila asked swallowing some juice.

"Well he's blonde or darker who loves purple and enjoys food the same way you do." Aelita answered finishing the rest of her milk carton.

Kila blushed, she had purple hair and was single. Aelita and Terra giggled at seeing their friend that way. After laughing off their hearts out, Aelita decieded to through away her plastic tray. But evil lurked nearby, she stepped out of her chair and walked backwards still giggling at Kila who just saw Odd's picture Aelita had in her wallet, having the others in there as well. When she stepped on someones shoe.

"OWWWW!" a girl shouted.

Aelita didn't have time to respond to the shout, someone pushed her as she faced the girl with pain back into the table the newbie's owned. She hit the chairs hard and her empty tray fell onto a boys backpack, Aelita laid on the floor with the iron seats holding her back up.

"What the hells the matter with you Shit!" a girl with black brown hair shouted.

Aelita felt nervous and fearful, she was shaking, "I…I…I didn't see you…I'm sorry!"

"Fucken newbie's, I think I'll make an example of you to your kind!" Kathleen shouted through her teeth and raised her foot Aelita stepped on to kick her.

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	8. Chapter 8

Foreboding

Aelita shut her eyes and flinched, she felt scared and afraid. She had never been in a real fight on earth for her friends always made sure that they were never on bad terms with the other students. She brought her arms up to guard her face as she heard the angered girl growl with her foot moving towards her.

'What did I do to make her so angry, Jeremie where are you!' Aelita screamed in her head.

A wave of air hit her and that was it, no pain for some reason. She looked up and saw the girls pointed fashion shoes just an inch away from her arms. A hand held the leg from making contact and it struggled to free itself. Aelita looked around, the girl was looking to Aelita's left and the arm belonged to a boy.

The angered girl took her leg back and had the worst hatred look on her face.

"Stay out of this!" she spit out frustrated that she couldn't get to Aelita.

"Keep away from her and the others you got that!" the boy responded sternly.

The girl moved up in his face and had just centimeters between their skin.

"You gonna make me?" she hissed.

"If you haven't noticed the campus police are just around the corner and most likely with all the shouting you just did they will walk in here at any moment." His tone seemed pleased.

The dark brown haired girl gave him a quick death glare and left with her three cronies fast out of the cafeteria. But before she left she said to the two.

"I'll kill that bich!"

The sun's light kept Aelita from identifying the two or the brute boys, a hand came to her offering help. She took it getting up and rubbing her neck from being pushed earlier. Aelita dusted her clothing off and looked to her friend?

"Thanks for helping me I don't know what could've happened if she'd……" Aelita looked up and saw who the boy was, Nathan stood next to her.

"Yup it's me, are you okay?" he said in a sort of a kind voice.

"I…I think I am." She managed to get out.

Her eyes locked on his for a moment to registar that this person was that same rude boy on the bus. But out of nowhere he grabbed her arm and they proceeded to go back into the breakfast line.

"Hey where you taking me, I've already ate." Aelita asked confused and ticked.

"Just follow me and don't look back okay?" he returned back to his old self she had first known.

They entered the serving area and Nathan pretended to be looking at the food. He had his hand stroking his chin as he spoke.

"Listen, I'm sorry for dragging you in here but like I said. The campus police are arriving and you don't want to really report such an incident. Not here anyways, or you'll make faster enemies then you can handle." He said with a low tone of voice.

"I'm not afraid of anyone." She snapped back.

"That's just it, you don't know who these people are or what their capable of. You just stay away from them and don't tell the school unless it's a serious thing. Otherwise these students here will label you." He said taking some ceral in a cup.

"What kind of school is this?" she said confused and yet somewhat angered,

"Look this may be a way to great universities but even these places have it's hierarchies. It's why you should stick with me and I'll show you the ropes then you'll no longer have to see me again." Saying as he paid the lunch lady.

"I don't want to get into any fights, but your not a very easy person to get along with." She contemplated, "I think we can make this work."

"I will not bother you again……………wait did you say yes!" he walked her to the her table, the cops were gone.

"Yes I did, if I see you in the halls will you join me to my class and teach me in our spare time?" she asked and he nodded to her with a wowed expression in his eyes.

He left her to the two girls anxiously waiting for her to sit with them. Aelita pulled up her chair and sat down at the table.

"Oh My God! I can't believe you were saved?" Kila said hyper.

"Ya, what was that all about?" Terra asked with some excitement.

"I don't know but it seems I have gained another friend." Aelita simply answered.

"Did you see his eyes? I wonder if they're really that shade of green?" Terra asked herself.

"You bagged yourself a boy already!" Kila smiled and grinned.

"Oh no he's not my boyfriend." Aelita said nervously.

"What! He just saved you from a beat down and from interrogation what does that say huh?" Terra said.

"Look I already have someone close to my heart and he's back home." She recovered from the question assault.

"Well how close will he be after three months go by eh? I hear long distance relationships don't last too well or long for that matter." Kila said.

"Jeremie and me have been through too much for just a meager year to demolish. Besides he chose to help me around the school, not like he likes me or anything. Right?" Aelita blushed at the thought.

"Ahhh the love triangle, so precious…" Kila joked around and ate her last pancake.

Saved by the bell, the girls had different classes so they told each other 'see you later' and left to the crowded halls.

Someone watched Aelita Hopper get up and walk away. This person vowed to deal her some damage, might she succeed? Send in your reviews.


	9. Chapter 9

Report

Aelita's day was quite easy and fun but not without it's uncomfortabilites. The older students here didn't pay her or the others any attention, Aelita pitied her fellows as they tried and failed to join the rest of the school. But the teachers here were quite nice and well under control of the students, they taught with efficiency and detail. She learned more in one day then she did at Kadic!

In her classes, such as mathematics and science and English, they were learning things two steps ahead of Kadic grades. By the end of the day she had filled up two folders with papers and notes she had known and been told this day. Her backpack which not a lot of Kadic students used was filled with books and papers just for the new students. She lugged her stuff to her room but she took a detour from the crowded and noisy halls to the open court yard where after school events where taking place.

She was lucky to find her two friends there already checking out the stuff. Aelita walked to them and found Kila snacking down on some cookies from the school's bakery stand. Terra had a small purse with her and it was filled with bright and shiny glass works, possibly from the pottery classes.

"Hi guys!" Aelita waved to the girls.

"How were classes?" Kila asked with a peanut butter cookie in her mouth.

"You and Odd would make the perfect couple, well the classes where much better then expected." Aelita said.

"Well I can see you got one heavy backpack?" a boys voice sounded behind Aelita.

The girls turned around to see Nathan with a taller boy with suave black hair. He had one a letterman's jacket and had his hands in it's pockets.

"Oh hi Nathan." Aelita smiled.

"Hey, um….you need help with that?" he pointed to her pack.

"Yes, the first day and I already have my locker on my back." She said happily as he took the pack onto his and she stretched out her muscles.

"Hey you girls tried the German Food stand yet?" Guerrmo asked trying to get their attention.

"Well…." Terra thought.

"Why don't you two go with him and try out some food? I'll join you in a little bit." Aelita proposed.

"What are you going to do?" Terra asked.

"I think Nathan can show me around here and tell me more about this school. Remember who's got a bone to pick with me, as Odd would say." Aelita smiled at the thought.

"Okay we'll meet at the arts area see you later then." Terra said as the three moved to the German food stand.

"Bye!" Aelita shouted.

The next half hour passed and they talked about things, like the school and it's events. She found out why all the food and craft stands were out, it was a once a week thing they had to raise money for classes to do things. She learned of the after school and early morning things that go on and the bad side of the school. Even the history of Kathleen and her gang.

"So that's why she's like that?" she looked surprised.

"Yup, but I think her hormones and just growing through teenage years made it worse. After that incident she began to distance herself away from everyone. Even more she started attacking others and became really offensive to those who barely even touched her." Nathan said.

"No?" Aelita said stunned.

"Yes, just like what happened to you others got it worse. But since she is the daughter of governor no one would dare accuse her for fear of blackmail or something. Personally though I think everyone is just afraid of getting beat up even more by her thugs she swarms herself around with. If she goes down then those who told on her will join her as well." He spoke sullenly over the evil girl.

"Wow, I never knew that one person could bear such evil as a child and end up like this. I guess I can understand her aggression." Aelita felt the girls pain but she only tasted a spoonful of the whole pool.

"She is a lost cause I guess. But tis the way of life ya know." Nathan said purchasing a soda and something else.

"But that doesn't mean that someone couldn't try and help her?" Aelita tried to defend the girl.

"Look man, you can say whatever you want but she will heal on her own. It's how everyone is, if you try and aid them you'll only open old wounds." He shook his head and opened his sprite can.

The two walked through the poetry and clay works and neared the arts center area. That was when Nathan handed her a jewelry class necklace from the stand next to the refreshments.

"I got it for you to help you get better acquainted with the place. Plus you'll make more friends when you look like a good person." He stuttered out slightly.

"What's a necklace going to do to speed up my assimilation?" She chuckled.

Nathan was at a wall so he shut up and looked straight forward.

"Well thank you anyways for this great gift. I love it." She smiled and hugged him fast, blushing rose.

He felt nervous and jittery but kept it to a mild shaking. They met up with the girls and Guerrmo, they sat on a bench and were eating something in a plastic takeout thing. Kila looked content among the food and Terra sat pretty close to Guerrmo, he really didn't pay attention to the closeness though.

"Hey so how did everything go, you guys enjoy yourselves?" Terra asked with a suspiciously playful look.

"I learned a lot of things and I'm sure Guerrmo shared some information as well." She said.

"Yes, you wouldn't know how easy it is to side step the bad and step into the crowd." Kila said out loud.

"Well now that the sun's almost set I think we should head in and look at all those papers." Aelita added since they all had enough time with boys.

They all bid each other good nights and the day settled in in their dorms. Aelita was first to take a shower and the huge availability of hot water here she took for granted. A nice steamy shower helped her forget the intense morning she had, and the blurred glass door gave her privacy. Seems this school is much more then either her or Jeremie could of imagined. She got back to there dorm room and Terra left for second. Kila laid on her bed listening to some music and closed her eyes, Aelita found it a great time to talk to the gang.

Going to the closet, she opened a suitcase and took out a laptop and it's accessories, a present from the school too her. She assembled it in five minutes and was already activating the camera to interact. Logging on to the special website Jeremie made, making a few adjustments to the webcam, accessing the cam forum, and clicking Einstein and friends subject.

Just as she clicked a window popped up.


	10. Chapter 10

Short Update

Aelita just clicked the web cam forum and it was like jeremie was there waiting for her. His face popped up seeming to scare him, he fell out of his chair the second she laid her green eyes on his sleepy form.

"Waaahh!" Jeremie screamed as his chair went backwards.

"Jeremie are you okay!" Aelita shouted out.

"Don't worry, I've been through worse you just caught me by surprise is all." He chuckled as he fixed his chair and sat back down with a smile through the whole process.

His geekyness helped her recall the old times when they first saw each other. Discovering she could be materialized, fighting Xana the night she became a DJ, almost dying for her loved ones, learning about her real human life and her parents, and finally the fall of Xana. He was her knight in shining armor alright, him and Odd who saved her during the most fruitless times.

"Okay, so Aelita please tell me you got there and your alright?" he asked eagerly staring at her like as if they were still in the Xana era.

She snapped out of her memories to answer him, "I am talking to you from the school yes, life here will be new and most challenging but I think I can take it on." She said with courage and enthusiasm.

"I'm glad to hear your safe and you have firmly established yourself in that new school. I hope you didn't encounter any strange activity or obstacles?" he looked hoping nothing.

Aelita recanted her first day, the plane was sleepy and she met her guide to the school. The girl, Kathleen, who seems to have it in for her and her guide, Nathan, who saved her from the possible beating of her life. Going to her classes and learning things here are much more harder then Kadic could possibly offer. After that busy day she got to see the after school carnival and with her best friends, getting a gift from Nathan at the same time and now here. Wow, she had someone nice to her helping her in a dire time.

"Aelita, did anyone harm you?" his left eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Oh, no no all went well and I also have a guide for this school. So now I can better aquaint myself with any dangers or easy areas." She attempted to cover for her moment of thought.

"A guide huh, well I'm surprised myself that they'd actually take a kindness to foreigners? You can trust this person?" Jeremie now starting to act questionable about her situation.

"Jeremie! I am very shocked that your acting like this towards the school. You should be happy that I have someone that I know I can trust who will help me." She defended this place and Nathan.

"Look I don't know what it's like where you are and I worry for you." He steamed looking to the ground.

"Well your becoming very suffocating, can't you trust me to do my own choices and judgment!" she snapped to his behavior.

"Fine I'm sorry I asked!" he spoke louder to her.

Just then Terra came through the door and both Aelita and Kila looked.

"Well my turn is over who's next again?" Terra said rubbing her hair with the towel.

"I got to go Jeremie, I'll see if I can contact you tomorrow. Say hi to the others for me if you don't mind that is?" she said clicking the exit button for the window before he could respond to her.

Kila took off her headset noticing the angered frustration one of her best friends seemed to be exhibiting. Looking to Terra for any answers, however, she only got shoulder shrugs and an extra towel thrown onto her. Aelita, sulking, shut down her lap top and slammed it shut. The pink haired girl turned around with frustration and didn't look to her friends as she spoke.

"I'll take my shower now." Was all Aelita said grabbing her shower stuff and walking out the door slamming the door.

"What the hell happened here Kila?" Terra asked her remaining friend sitting up on her bottom bunk bed.

"I don't know, one minute I was listening to Numa Numa and the next I hear her shouting to this cute blonde boy on the screen then slamming it and the door." She said looking slightly confused.

"Oh you're a lost cause." Terra fumed getting her clothing.

"What are you talking about, it was my turn anyways to go take a shower." She whined and huffed crossing her arms laying back down.

To the Showers

Aelita kept her glance to the floor but used her peripheral vision to see where she was going. Her mind was disappointed in Jeremie for his feelings to the cushioned welcome she got here. But she was also angry at herself for not telling him the worst morning she had, although did it end badly?

All of the sudden, someone crashed into her and pushed her into the wall. She could feel the warmth of the persons body and the muscular build on them. Their hands slammed to the wall trapping her, she opened her eyes. A male shadowed her, he vaguely remembered him from Kathleen's group but what's he got with her?

"Let me go to the restroom's please." She still had her anger in her but some thin membrane kept it from blasting out at the boy.

"Ah ah ahhhhh, I got orders to give you the school greetings." He grinned checking her out.

"Please leave me alone and nothing will happen." She warned him, deep inside she wanted to use her martial arts Ulrich taught her but the boy had to do something for it to be fair.

"I think I got the perfect place for us to…talk." He grabbed her arms.

Aelita then took that as an offensive to her and now she punched through that barrier.

The boy flew to the other wall as Aelita drop kicked him. But he didn't fall from it, he absorbed it and went at her by using his bodies weight. He was too fast for her, and soon she found herself under his crushing body and what seemed as a lustful urge in his eyes. Now the fighting spirit that filled her soul drained and she felt helpless pinned by the boy. Remarkably they had took this in a hallway under construction or renovation so no one could hear them.

"You and me gotta talk baby." He said playfully reaching to her.

"Someone Help!" she screamed out loud before he covered her mouth with his big hand.

Aelita couldn't do anything and now she began to cry. She waited for him to start fondling her as she had seen in those safety vids the police department and the small sex ed class talked about. Yet he never advanced further then having her pinned like that's all he knew what to do.

All of the sudden she heard someone running down the halls and into the one they were in. Her eyes closed, she could feel the boys weight lifted off of her and a loud reverberating thud just south of her. She opened her eyes again and saw someone dragging her to the nearest wall for safety? It was Guerrmo kneeling to her saying something but she couldn't make out even a syllable. He took off his jacket and put it on her for more covering. The fluffy jacket felt warm and thick giving her a better connection to reality.

Turning to where she once laid, she saw someone holding that muscular boy down to the ground by the neck. It was Nathan! He looked to her as he picked up the boy from the floor and put him into a sleeper hold. The big boy struggled violently but slowly stopped and went limp. Nathan let him go and put him sitting against a wall.

"Aelita are you okay, did he go any further!" he said fast and worried.

"No….no…." she was too shooken up to answer rationally.

"Guerrmo get the campus cops here okay?" he said pointing to the main hallway.

"Your going to be fine Aelita don't worry." Nathan petted her head and got up.

He fetched a small tool long enough for a weapon and stood between her and the unconscious boy. He didn't move not even to look around, he just kept his gaze to the grunt.

Ten minutes later Aelita was being escorted to the nurses office by Guerrmo, Nathan, three cops, and an assistant principle. The boy who pinned her to the ground earlier ago was handcuffed and taken to the security office by two cops who where escorted by another two with their hands on walkie talkie's and their batons. She had a check over and was treated very kindly by the nurse, she told her story to the nurse and a cop. All throughout the time she thought to herself, 'I guess this is one of those times I can report to the campus cops.' She was treated very kindly by the head principle who gave his sincere apologies for the incident and helped with the boys to her dorm room. She was able to take her shower but there was a female cop at the intersection where she was attacked. Kila and Terra wanted all the info about what happened but Aelita just took a well deserved shower and just wanted to sleep.

The principle talked to them about what had happened and if they knew anything that would have led up to the incident. Of course the girls knew nothing, the boys helped them further understand what happened that they saw.

That night Kila and Terra gave a group hug with their best pinked haired princess friend. Aelita cried in the hug and the girls let her do so, anything bottled up is bad. Then they all went to sleep, something Aelita happily took fast.

Principles Office

"Sir, I believe that Morson wasn't aiming at advancing on her. We all know what he is in mental wise. Maybe he got a hold of some fallen stuff or saw a show on TV that may have sparked the behavior sir." Nathan said to the principle who nodded.

"He's right sir, Morson isn't like all of us but excuse his ability to do perform equally." Guerrmo added.

"Alright, so this student is special and somehow he saw such acts and decided to replay them in reality?" the man said rubbing his neck like he had a beard or something.

"You heard what the victim said, he stopped just at that and kept her to the ground." Nathan said.

"I think we should dismiss the sexual harassment charges and only keep the others. It's what is fair sir." Guerrmo pushed.

"Alright, I'll take that into consideration as I talk to the investigators. You may go now." He excused the two boys and started talking to his secretary.

They left and walked to their dorm rooms, looking occupied.

"He gave the green light for me to stay as her guide for the first year and a half." Nathan mumbled still pissed he couldn't of gotten to her aid earlier.

"Ya, he's giving the green light for support staff of the introductory committee. The newbie's will get friends if they like it or not." Guerrmo sighed feeling good about it.

"If it wasn't for that transfer from last year we wouldn't have these jackasses making life hard here. They act out what they want and then go into hiding before anyone can do something about it. Their smart, such a shame they can't use that for their grades. God knows their failing what three or so classes." Nathan fumed as they got to their room.

"Well I don't know about you but I'm tired and I for one have a test this Monday. So I'll need all weekend for study." Guerrmo laughed as he stretched and laid on his bed.

"I hope she's not too shooken up from the incident?" Nathan said to himself as he lay on his bed parallel to Guerrmo's, "I know that Morson isn't to blame here, it's Kathleen, she had to of told him to do so for his nature to consider such acts aginst a girl. He may be stupid but he has his morals on his own.".

Sendin your reviews.


	11. Chapter 11

Regular Weekend?

Nathan woke up slightly sore from his bed. Guerrmo was up long before he was and he was stuffing something inside a small pack, something colored red and yellow.

Stretching, "Hey dude you could of woken me up you know." Nathan said rubbing his eyes and fixing his hair.

"Well, you looked like you needed it anyways. Hey about last night, thanks for not telling Terra that we were in the area because of me." Guerrmo said putting the pack on his back and making his way to the door.

"Hey only me and you know you are….attracted to Terra. You gonna give that present yesterday to her today?" Nathan got up and started rummaging around for some cloths.

"Ya got it in here, I was thinking of giving it to her at breakfast." Guerrmo opened the door and stepped halfway out the door.

"Good deal fool, I'm going to wash up. Maybe I'll go see how Aelita is doing?" Nathan eagerly said.

Guerrmo laughs, "Your hook man, okay later." He waved and closed the door.

Nathan got the last article of clothing and then opened his cell phone. He had seven missed calls, and all where from home. He flipped it closed and threw it aside. Walking out the room and locking it, Nathan went to the showers and washed up. The bed back he got faded away with the warm water.

Later on he left to the girls dorm area and found Aelita's door. But he wasted several minutes pacing around and nervously thinking if he should attempt to talk to her at this kind of moment. In the end it was Kila who answered the door.

"Hey Nathan! Did you sleep well?" she said peppy.

"I slept okay but my bed has some lumps on it." He stuttered a little, "Um is Aelita in?"

"Ya she is, hey princess he's here. Now can we go eat!" she pleaded at the end.

The girl Nathan asked for rushed to the door and acted like Kila. "Let's go eat, I'm starving." Aelita had a hungry smile on her face.

Kila and her both had their purses with them, they seemed to of been waiting for him. They walked out, after closing the door, with Nathan between them. The way to the cafeteria was quiet, no one said a thing to each other. So he didn't wish to accidentally dig up anything the girls where thinking. So they arrived at the room and they got in the semi long line, but things got a little uncomfortable when Aelita scooted closer to him to the point they were it looked like they had their arms holding each other.

Nathan knew that there was enough room for her to move about in so why is she this close? Yet thanks to the movement of the line he got some space and the three divided to get their own meals in the buffet like serving area. After they took what they wanted and paid for it Nathan went ahead of them and claimed a seat in the shade by a window. They sat down and started feasting on the food before them. Kila had an omelet, pancakes, bacon, and a biscuit as to Aelita who got three breakfast on a buns all where sausage, egg, and chess with Nathan having 2 egg and chorizo with pineapple jelly burritos.

The food filled their bodies up greatly and left them all tuckered out. Nathan pushed his tray away and looked like he was about to put the food back onto the plate. Kila though looked like she wanted more, looking to the serving room again.

"Hey does anyone have any spare change I can borrow?" she looked hopefully to the two.

"Sorry I have to save my money." Aelita said sadly.

"I got a five you can use. Just pay me back later kay?" Nathan said taking his wallet out and gave Kila the money.

"Oh thank you!" she said happily excited as she hugged him quickly and took off back to the line.

The two watched the purple haired girl get back in line and keep a straight look to the food in the other room.

"That was awfully nice of you." Aelita told him.

"I get allowance and plus I don't get out that much." He responded with a shrug.

"Uh….err….would you like to…uh join me and Kila? Where going off to find something to do for this weekend and we were hoping you'd help us." She asked blushing slightly.

"I..I'd be glad too! Just let me get this food down first and I'll show you the malls and stuff." He gleefully accepted.

Kila just entered the serving area and she seemed to be at her happiest in her life. Nathan stretched out and put his arms on the top of the two seater. Strangely enough Aelita pushed closer to him till she had her head resting on his shoulder. What drove this Nathan couldn't figure out unless she was trying to thank him for saving her last night. He put more though on it and began to sweat a little from the closeness. Then Aelita moved away to her original distance as Kila got to the cash register with a mound of food.

I wonder what they will do this weekend, send in your reviews.


	12. Chapter 12

New Outlook

Aelita, Kila, and Nathan took the bus to the places they visited. First was a mall, a huge one at that. The place was immense, so many shops and stands to visit they killed an hour and a half there. Luckily they had money to buy a few things and to compensate for the food court there that Kila spotted. They took the bus and dropped off their bags of goodies and left for the movies. They went and saw 'Fun with Dick & Jane' they all laughed out loud with the rest of the crowd, especially with the scene where Dick mocked a hostage with his voice distorter. That time Aelita and Nathan's hands touched by accident when they tried to rest their arms on the arm rest. Though Nathan quickly pulled his away and blushed in the dark. The movie ended and they set off to Tracker's Fun, a go carts and arcade with pizza place. The three spent tens on the rides, it was even more enjoyable that there was a line of people for the go carts so they rode with a crowd. Talk about a day of competition and not to mention the three large pizzas they shared with a liter of pepsi. Aelita experienced a great time indeed with new friends, just like as if they where her gang of friends from Kadic. But thinking that left her to ponder and miss them a lot, Kila reminded her of Odd and Nathan of Ulrich.

Her two friends noticed her train of thought and sullen mood as she ate her slices so they talked amongst each other to provide some atmosphere anyways.

After stuffing their stomachs, the group left to one last place. One of Nathan's favorite places, the Splatter Action Paintball course a little wise out of the city. But it was worth it cause they met Guerrmo and Terra there. The girls where surprised but soon figured out this was a planned day. So the boys left the girls to talk as they went and played a few games before leaving.

Aelita and Kila did a total recall of what happened to Terra without missing a single detail. Terra though was a little hesitant at first but she broke down and said she went on a date with Guerrmo. Going to the movies across the city and then to a restaurant for lunch. She showed the two her new crystal necklace, (the present guerrmo bought for her yesterday and gave it today). Aelita gasped at the glimmering surface of the multi dimensional shapes hanging from the plain string. Kila mocked her about the gift from a boy and going on a date, Terra threw a small discarded paint round at her to shut her up. They laughed and turned around to the field from behind the mesh fence.

That day a small birthday party was on for someone turning eighteen and they had ten people attending. The girls got to see them in action and learn a thing or two about this type of sport. The boys and the party crew left into the brush to play "The Alamo", they returned thirty minutes later tired and worn out. Nathan came back holding his neck, he had gotten shot going up to fire from the top level. Aelita was there to help him clean the pulsing area and to give a wet towel for the sweat on his forehead. The girls giggled watching the two quarrel, because he was very tender around that area. Aelita blushed a light pink like her hair when she figured out what they where giggling about.

In the end they left to a shuttle pickup infront of the paint course and to the school again before the sun set. Terra and Guerrmo sat in the same chair section and looked out the window in silence, they look cute together.

Kila and Aelita sat to the section parallel to Nathans and talked about the mall and the people they saw. Though he just pretended to sleep as he held the ice pack to his neck. But half way to the school, Aelita sat next to him voluntarily. The closeness made him shiver so he used the icepack as and exuse as they talked about the paintfield and the movie. They got most interested in the guns mechanics and calibrations, seems she knew a lot about air dynamics and the use of velocity.

They kept it up going into the school and to their dorm room, turns out they stayed in Aelita's room to continue the idea of a sniper variant of those markers he used. Terra and Kila just rested on their beds for the rest of the evening, all that food took some energy from their body. It wasn't till five minutes to eight in the night that Nathan decided to leave, they walked to the door together and stood outside for a short moment. Now something strange but enjoyable happened, Nathan actually broke his character and kissed her on the forehead and took off to his dorm before she could react.

Aelita had just finished her bit on the gas injector for the compressed air when he did that. Took her completely by surprise and left her looking like a cherry holding her forehead like she was running a fever.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting that?" she thought to herself heading in.

"Hey what happened to you, you looked flushed!" Kila yelled enough for all to hear.

"We are in the same room you know." Terra snapped at the purple ponytailed girl below her, "So did you kiss him?" Terra asked like as if she was Aelita's big sister.

"I don't know what your talking about, I'm too close to Jeremie to do such a thing!" Aelita said defensivly.

"You seem to be saying what we want to know through your reaction. So he kissed you?" Terra pressed on putting her book down and looked mischeviously to her.

"Uh….well you see…he just did that out of no where. Oh what do I do, I mean I care about Jeremie a lot and far too much to go for another boy!" the pink princess broke down before them as she fell on her bed still stunned and confused.

"Come on, your how old?" Kila asked trying to get a foot in.

"Fifteen." Aelita answered getting up by her elbows with curiosity.

"So your human, it's not like you and Jeremie are married right. You're a fifteen year old girl and you don't have to tie yourself down to one guy right? Am I right Kila?" Terra began to act like a real big sister, a new character neither of the girls saw.

"Your absolutely right, but it's her choice to stay with a long distance relationship if she wants." Kila lead her into a trap.

"What's wrong with having a boy you care about so far away?" Aelita attempted to defend herself.

"What's wrong is Jeremie isn't the only fish in the sea. Sure he may of done some great things for you and maybe saved your from immenient danger but still what if he starts seeing other girls or girls start going on him while you spend your three years here. If he or you are going to stay together then you should have stayed home, look I know what I'm talking about okay." Terra attempted to cut off the rest of the conversation at that, yet she seemed to have a flashing sign above her head repeating "Ask me what I know!".

"Did something happen to you similar to this occasion?" Kila asked.

A long pause abosorbed the room till finally.

"You remind me of my cousin….she use to think of her boy as such a god a man who wouldn't dare think of cheating on her or her herself doing the same thing! But after awhile, they both ended up going after a different person and lied to each other about it. The truth was hard to endure, the love between them failed and didn't spark as much as the new people did. All ended in a broken heart moment and I had to see my sister sulk for three weeks none stop. Her boyfriend she just got tried to help her but she only distance herself away from him, I was able to keep him as a friend to her by having him stay over with me, my friends, and dad. She didn't recover for some months and finally established her relationship again with the new guy. I never knew what became of Mark, her first one." Terra started to cry into her pillow.

Kila got up and comforted her friend as did Aelita, they got her to return to the happy and day dreaming girl with Guerrmo's gift to her.

"Look I'm sorry for that but I just didn't want to see you go through the same thing, Jeremie lives in france and you here in the U.S. Only pain will come of such even with your webcam there's just no physical communion." Terra said getting down from her top bed.

"You going to be okay?" Kila asked with her hand on her shoulder.

"Ya, I'll just go take a shower now. If I take too long then good night you two." She smiled to them and walked out the door calmly.

"You should go and contact him so's not to worry. Terra's only watching out for you, but you might wanna listen to her words." Kila said to her friend as she changed cloths and went to bed.

Aelita opened the laptop and turned it on, started up the web cam, and clicked the forum. Sure enough Jeremie was there but this time he was prepared as it seemed and not in the same mood as she left him yesterday. He looked sad and apologetic, his eyes light up with kindness as he saw her.

Send in your reviews….


	13. Chapter 13

Deep Thought

It's Sunday morning and the girls stayed in bed late. But Aelita was up the whole time after seven A.M., just thinking of what to do. She's established a fast relationship network already and it's only her third day here. Using her intellect she tried to make sense of it all.

Mind Speaking

"I have just gotten to this school and already I have family like line established with Terra and Kila. Guerrmo and Nathan have saved me from this school bullies and now it's like, with them, I have another gang of friends with me. Guerrmo and Terra are like Ulrich and Yumi. Kila is like Odd, Nathan is starting to act like Jeremie to me, and I as I."

Then it dawned on her, though the circumstances are weird, it's like she's never left home. Sissi and her cronies are here as well but with more punch then a bark, as Odd would say.

"Wow, who would knew? But now what should I do, keep my old friends who saved me from my prison and Xana or leave them for my new friends? Either way what do I lose? But like Terra said it's not like I'm married maybe I can join this school when I get to see my friends again all I have to do is make my choice then and explain the whole matter to the both of them. Then they will all understand my position here or further down the line like after the University. Oh life is so hard!"

Third Person View

Aelita figured it out, she would keep her contact with her friends at least every two days. Because here, her friends are protecting her from a human replica of Xana with her monsters. Still letting her relationship with her new friends grow, keeping Jeremie in her heart always. Well it's not like in a year her friends will visit her or something.

So Aelita did just that, she got up early and got on her laptop. She and Jeremie talked through the afternoon and they both apologized for the last conversation going bad. End in all, they both talked of the recent things that happened.

After they talked, Aelita went out with Terra to the library for some coffee. There she saw Nathan and some girl and a librarian talking.

For the next three months, she and everyone else had much work to do. Exams where coming up in another three months prior to the one now. Then the school would have dead week before Christmas break. Terra and her had a hard time putting up with Kila's fidgetiness and her lack of focus. Their weekends spent dealing with homework, tests, research, and papers but Terra proved to be close to Aelita in intelligence when it came to the internet and books. Things were getting pretty tight with everyone here. Kathleen hadn't bothered her since that bathroom hall thing. In fact she hasn't seen her since, like she disappeared from the school. Terra and Guerrmo spent some study time together as much as they could and Nathan called her on the cell at least once a day to see how she was. What could go wrong with this picture?


	14. Chapter 14

Blooming

The exams came and went, now the friends enjoyed the parties their classes hosted on the last day before Christmas break. Food galore and drinks to drive ones bladder crazy. Secret Santa's were new to Aelita though, but soon she got the hang of the concept. After the last bell rang, Aelita walked out of the school and going through the front of the school where countless other students waited for rides to pick them up.

She wanted to get a taste of the cold and cloudy day outside, and instead she found someone sitting on a bench. Her heart began to race because the person was wearing a hoodie and she wondered if it was Jeremie. As she walked closer to the student she got to see it was just Nathan. She breathed a sigh of relief and took a seat by him.

"Well fancy meeting you here." She laughed putting her binder beside her.

Nathan didn't say a thing he just stared out to the parking lot with one earphone in.

"Is there something the matter Nathan?" she felt worried.

Aelita felt even more when see noticed a tear fall from his right eye. She tried to be optimistic and thought his eyes where getting dry from the cold front air. But soon he started to sniffle and attempted to suck in his tears. He looked down and away from her.

"Please tell me what's bothering you?" she began to plead and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Leave me alone!" he snapped at her and got up.

Nathan started to walk away real fast, she got up and grabbed his arm. But it looked like it felt like venom to him. Yanking his arm free he ran away from her he disappeared behind the music building to the dorms. Aelita felt sad and pained, was she the cause of his abrupt behavior?

Later on she went to her dorm and found her other friends there playing on Guerrmo's new game platform. Terra looked from the game and saw her favorite pink haired girl looking depressed.

"Ha ha! I got you….you just died by my plasma gun!" Kila roared with accomplishment throwing her fist into the air.

Guerrmo kept his glance on the screen and kept his focus on it. While Terra got up and walked to her friend sitting on Kila's bed.

"What happened, you look like you failed a test or something?" Terra put her arm around Aelita.

"I ran into Nathan out by the front of the school, he wasn't in the best of moods." Aelita looked to the floor, "I tried to talk to him but he just brushed me off like a flea. Did I do something, am I offending!" Aelita tried to answer herself even though Terra was to answer.

Just then Guerrmo heard her and pu the game on pause, causing Kila to get furious.

"Why did you stop for huh I was about to beat you?" Kila asked slamming her controller to the floor.

"I know why he's acting like that. Don't worry it's not you, really it's to do with his family." He explained.

"His family?" Aelita felt confused.

"Yes, things I suppose are not going so well at his home. Lately I think from past issues or something he held in all of his emotions and so he's all bottled up. It must of gotten bad because of the holidays coming up, if I remember it has to do with the arguing and loss of family that's got him crabby. Word of advice be careful around him when he's going through the relief phase, he might harm you by accident." Guerrmo warned.

"What do you mean last phase?" Terra and Aelita asked in unison.

"I think he gathers all of that into a rage and lets it out at any time. Recently it's been his room, found it with holes in the walls and floor I think he punched. He won't remember a thing after the whole mess, no memory." He sighed and attempted to get back to the game.

"Wow, standerd case of repression but over stimulated. Aelita I think it's best you stay away from him till he cools off. Hey why don't you go to the cafeteria and get a soda and come back, it'll help you take him off your mind." Terra suggested.

"Okay, well I'll be back in a couple." She waved her friends and left.

She took down the three level stairs, passing a few students either dressed up and a couple of punk rocker Goths. Going through the main halls and through the history hall, she exited to the back of the alley way to the science portables. The cafeteria was just a short stroll away, but suddenly she hears grunts coming from the opposite way to the science rooms.

Curiosity took the best of her and she proceeded to the sounds of what now became pain. She walked to the corner and got a bad vibe just being so close. But her mind again took over and she jumped into the open sound area.

One could say her eyes opened like the whole sky went black with shock. What was making the grunting sounds was a fight. Two boys held someone against the wall while another was throwing free punches at that persons stomach and face. She turned to the right and saw Kathleen watching the event but turned sour when she noticed the familiar pink haired girl.

"Stop!" the girl shouted.

At that the three boys stopped like dogs and Nathan fell to the ground. Aelita rushed to him without hesitation and flipped him over.

"You see that's what you get for messin with me, never get between me and my work or else? And you, what happened to him will be worse when I get my hands on you. Lets get out of here." She waved and that gang walked away laughing.

Aelita began to cry a little and got her cell out, she called Terra and let her know of what went down. Terra helped her calm down and gave her word she'd be down with help. So a few minutes to kill before some aid came, leaving Aelita with the semi conscious boy alone.

"You didn't have to protect me you know, I'm new and if I did something wrong then I should pay for it and no one else." She choked back her tears.

The black haired boy muffled some words, "I've…been looking…for someone…special.", he smiled a little through the bloody and split lip, "I think that person is you…I'll be okay just a few days in bed should…..do me good."

"What are you talking about?" she tried to make sense of the first part.

"I have had a troubled past….all I want is a little love from an angel to get me by." He coughed but with the pain from his bruised diaphragm.

"Iam I that angel?" she asked as her tears fell on his face.

"Y….ye…..yes." he got out and quieted.

"Iam I worth all this trouble?" she said occupying herself by dusting off his shirt and the blood from his face.

Unfortunately he wasn't able to answer that when a cop pushed Aelita out of the way and tended to the fallen boy. Aelita got up and she saw her dorm mates and Guerrmo running to her side.

Boy, that cloudy day sure had it's stormy moment.

Nathan filed a report about his attackers and stayed in the infirmary that day. Aelita left with Kila back her dorm room with a soda she was given. It wasn't till the next day did they get to see him but with the temporary scares and bruises. The kind pink haired girl went to his dorm this time, she was greeted by his best friend who had a wooden katana on his bed. She banished the thoughts of what it's uses when in a tight situation against enemies. There lay her savior on his bed asleep, Guerrmo left her with him to get some coffee in the level's student lounge for him and her.

She sat by his bed and combed his hair way from his forehead. Looking over his body, she saw all the bruises since his shirt was off. Apparently Guerrmo turned on his stereo to help his friend recover peacefully. It was Coldplay's Amsterdam, a band she hadn't heard before.

Come on, oh my star is fading,  
And I swerve out of control,  
If I, if I'd only waited,  
I'd not be stuck here in this hole,  
Come here, oh my star is fading,  
And I swerve out of control,  
And I swear, I waited and waited,  
I've got to get out of this hole

But time is on your side, its on your side, now  
Not pushing you down, and all around,  
It's no cause for concern

Come on, oh my star is fading,  
And I see no chance of release,  
And I know I'm dead on the surface,  
But I am screaming underneath

And time is on your side, its on your side, now  
Not pushing you down, and all around,  
No it's no cause for concern

Stuck on the end of this ball and chain,  
And I'm on my way back down again,  
Stood on the edge, tied to the noose,  
Sick to the stomach

You can say what you mean,  
But it won't change a thing,  
I'm sick of the secrets,  
Stood on the edge, tied to the noose,  
And you came along and you cut me loose,  
You came along and you cut me loose,  
You came along and you cut me loose

Something about that song felt like it spoke of what he had told her before the help came. She thought of it's words to what Nathan was going through, then Guerrmo came back with two cups.

"I got Café Mocha, I hope you like chocolate with your coffee?" he chuckled.

Aelita drank her beverage carefully cause it was hot, while Guerrmo gave her further info of what led to him getting beat up so bad. The rest of the day they talked and pasted the time and almost got her dorm mates worried. But with a quick call on the cell Aelita cleared up things and spent the rest of the afternoon with Nathan and Guerrmo.

"Personally, I think he's just lookin for true love. And you and him really seem to fit that definition." He told her.

"He protects me like I'm his…his.." her sentence was finished by Guerrmo.

"Love?"

She didn't say anything and kept her gaze on the boy sleeping from the pain killers and exhaustion.

Out of the blue she knelt by Nathan and slowly drew closer to his face. Kissing him on the lips ever so softly for ten seconds or so. She withdrew and touched his face getting up.

"Well tell him I visited if he wakes up." She asked starting to leave, it was close to sunset now.

"Sure" Guerrmo promised as she closed the door quietly and left.

Aelita got to her dorm room with a quaint smile, she spent the rest of the evening introducing Jeremie to her dorm mates. It was nice and very amusing when Kila brought up Odd.

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	15. Chapter 15

Soon To Be Trouble

The gang just got off of school, no more classes to attend to for the Holiday. The C.L. gang minus one gathered in Jeremie's room as he instructed them too.

"Come on Jeremie, what do you want I got a skateboarding tournament to get too!" Odd whined throwing himself on a bed.

"Ya Jeremie we all have something to go to." Ulrich added, he secretly was going to trail Yumi again when he heard William was attempting to go out with her.

"I want to do some swimming before they close up." Yumi said pushing stray hair out of her eyes.

"The reason I brought you here is it is about Aelita." He said straightly and not sugar coated.

"Oh ya, how has she been?" Ulrich asked.

"Ulrich you should remember what I told you before now. I gave every detail about how Aelita's been, how could you forget so soon?" Yumi slapped the back of his head.

Odd laughed his usual cackle, "You got in trouble" he grinned.

"Alright enough comical stunts, I want to go visit her this holiday. So the reason you're here is do you want to go with me?" he said sternly and looking at them with fixed eyes.

"Sure I don't think any of us have any plans." Yumi spoke for her and the boys.

"Great! I got the tickets right here." Jeremie took four large plane tickets out in a poker card game sort a fashion with a huge grin that out did Odd.

"So when we leaven Einstein?" Odd rubbed the back of his head.

"Very soon my friend very soon." Jeremie smiled to himself staring at the tickets.

Ulrich mumbled to Yumi, "I think he's going nuts over Aelita again." And Yumi nodded.


	16. Chapter 16

Closeness

Nathan woke up from their nap first, he'd forgotten where he was. When his eyes opened he looked around and was startled when he found Aelita cuddled with him apparently on her bed. But it all soon was recalled and he settled down, looking at her beautiful frame and cuteness.

His dark past seemed far away now, his mind repressing any attempts to recall it. He focused on the sleeping angel in front of him, his savoir in his life. After all he'd gone through and still with his adulthood he'd expected to never see his true love till at an adult age or before he was about to mentally crash. Yet luck seemed to shine on him now and showed him someone to help on the path of light.

Nathan found himself caressing her face with his fingers as lightly as a butterfly kiss. The pink haired girl swiped away the tickling touch and grabbed the tips of his fingers. She held them and snuggled more into a deep sleep. So he rested his arm on her so's not to disturb her and continued to admire such a human.

In this moment his repression wore off and he, for some reason recalled a piece of his history. A day where he'd lost a grandfather and a side of the family hated his mother for caring for him in his last year. He remembered he was very little and hardly understood the crisis at the time, but what he would have felt at the time surfaced here and now. The emotions blanketed the soreness from the bruises and tears of sorrow began to fall from his eyes. They felt hot as the drops ran off his face and onto the pillow, keeping his vocal crying silent by sucking it up. He returned back to a neutral face and brought the angel closer to him. Almost covering her up with his arm he fell asleep.

Another thirty minutes later she woke up in his warm embrace. She stretched under him and felt his warm emanating from his body. His bodies scent was attractive to her nose, her instincts started to peak. Lifting his arm off of her she started kissing him and he awoke to her tender care. Their eyes locked and they began to make out on the bed. Rolling on it every minute or two the passion heated like a rotisserie oven. Soon enough they started going after each others clothing, then out of no where Nathan's mind surfaced in the excitement.

'What am I doing, she's an angel to me why do this to her? Where only what fifteen and sixteen years old, I don't want this to be a simple exchange of services!' he screamed in his mind.

The boy stopped himself and her, breaking the kissing attack and looking at her in a certain way. Aelita as well thought rationally now and the thought of what they where just doing a moment ago she felt embarrassed of. He on top of her with his hands pinning her down but not touching her.

"Aelita, you are the perfect girl and to be with you would be the greatness honor second only to meeting our great creator.", he smiled making his complement, "But what was happening just for some reason didn't feel right. I think where to young to be acting like that and plus if we are to start seeing each other like that. I want it to be because we like each others company and about each other not just for the pleasurable reasons." He looked away from her ashamed for being so lustful.

"I see what your talking about. I am also sorry for being so lustful. I don't know what came over me. But I'd like for us to see each other as you say we should, I believe the easier way to say it is with unconditional love?" she turned his face with her hand to her.

"Thank you." He responded as tears feel from his eyes once again.

He gently lay on her his head on her chest and collar bone and she comforted him to stop the tears.

"Hey lets dry those cries with some egg nog or something, hmm?" she asked.

"Sounds good." he got off her and helped her up with happiness.

The couple fixed their cloths and headed off, unknown to them that in a few more hours during the Christmas party. Some unwarranted visitors would make an appearance and set things into a double helix.

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	17. Chapter 17

Danger

The two walked down the hall, a flight of stairs, and through the main halls. They talked of their grades before school had got out. But as they were about to turn into another hallway leading outside to the courtyard, a student raced into Nathan. Yet as he did, the other boy whispered something into his ear fast.

"She's out to get you!" in a panicky voice and the boy disappeared down the main hallway.

"What was his problem!" Aelita said angrily.

"Something's going to go down!" Nathan shuttered at the words escaping his mouth.

Aelita could see him shaking, he looked nervous and excited for some reason. It got her worried.

"I'm confused, what's going to happen!" his nervousness seeped into her as they stopped in front of the door leading to the courtyard.

Another student, a group actually, walked by them.

"Look out!"

"She's somewhere!"

Nathan looked around panicking as the group went into a classroom.

He grabbed her hand as they walked through the doors, the courtyard was empty. Excuse the cloudy sky, the wind blowing the lose leaves on the ground. The two looked around anticipating the worst but nothing came.

"Stay by me and whatever happens run got that!" he told her in a serious tone.

"Nathan what's going on I'm scared!" she started to weep and shake.

They walked fast through the courtyard, their eyes ever alert and scanning the area. Nathan had his left arm around her so that he could swing around and guard her from any attacks. But what came next was more then a complete surprise.

A gunshot echoed in the air and missed the two by inches. They ran behind a huge oak tree, Nathan taking peaks around it to see their attackers.

"Didn't I tell you I'd get her you fucking piss ant!" this girl with the gun shouted.

"It's Kathleen, stay down she's after you!" he pushed her behind him.

"I'm coming to get you." The gunner teased walking with the weapon poised.

"We'll make a break for the cafeteria, there should be a cop there or at least a crowd as witnesses. On my count we run for it or die here." He ordered Aelita.

She waited for his hand to get to one, and then they ran. The gunner fired at them sporadically while running to stop them. She succeeded in closing their escape.

"You can't get away from me." She stared at them with a mad look.

Nathan got in front of Aelita and used his body as a shield. The girl fired again and this time the bullet hit home, his head jerked back and he fell backwards. Aelita looked in fear and shock as his blood sprayed on her face slightly and he on the ground with a gash in his forehead.

"Now you have no one to save you now." The pistol wielding girl said with an evil grin.

Just as the next bullet popped into the chamber, she pulled the trigger. But nothing happened, Kathleen continued to try and fire but no shots fired again.

"Dawm gun!" she spit and threw it aside.

The two girls proceeded to a fight, but Aelita was scared. What will happened to her if this girl gets her murderous hands on her?


	18. Chapter 18

The Fight

Aelita and Kathleen where at a standoff, each had the ability to fight one another. Aelita had her training from Ulrich and Kathleen has her past with her.

"Look whatever I did, I'm sorry but I will not hesitate to defend myself!" Aelita said shaking.

"Sorry but when you tread on me I tread on you. Though it is unfortunate that he had to get tighed up in this, after all he was kind of cute." She smiled evilly as they circled.

"The pain you brought to these students will end." Aelita spat.

"Well then bring it bitch!" the other girl shouted.

Kathleen was the first to charge and threw the first punch, but Aelita caught her hand and flipped her over to her back. She got back up quickly and they had another standoff.

"Your lucky you caught me off guard!" she said in her defense.

Again she charged but threw a fake and grabbed Aelita for a change. Holding her two arms she used a free arm and elbowed her then kicked her in the stomach. Aelita stumbled backwards but absorbed the pain.

"You see, I can match anyone and overdo them." Kathleen said huffing air in and out.

She charged once again in hopes to pull off the same maneuver but Aelita fell to the ground and kicked trip her. As the hateful girl fell on the concrete walk path, it gave Aelita enough time to escape inside the school. She ran as fast as her legs carried her and into the girls locker room. She held herself to the door as she sat against it to keep the mad girl away. Unfortunately, Kathleen found her and tried to push the doors open but to no avail. The what surprised Aelita was the fact that she then punched through the small glass window of the door.

The bits and pieces of glass drifted past the pink haired girl and fluttered on the ground. Half an arm stretched with a fist at the end, bloodied up yet strong.

Aelita got up and ran as Kathleen freed her arm and opened the door, running after her. But our resourceful princess threw the benches and debris at the chaser and gained some time. Aelita ran out of the locker rooms and into the main hallways, there was a cop coming towards her direction. With all the commotion they caused it's a wonder they didn't show up sooner. But a smile spread across Aelita's face at the sight of an authority figure, hope lit in her eyes and then searing pain ignited in her head as she was pulled back.

Kathleen had grabbed her shiny pink hair with her bloody fist and at the instant she did, Aelita's head was rammed into the lockers several times. But she closed her eyes to escape her doom, she could feel the pain but when darkness came to sight no feeling could be felt. It was at that time she could see her old friends again and the new friends side by side. Jeremie and Nathan stood in the center looking at her with warm smiles, and she could have sworn she heard them chuckling like as if they had just seen her after some time and no problems had arised.

After the fifth or sixth time Kathleen introduced the girls head to the lockers, the cop had pulled his mace out and sprayed her. The girl let go immediately and fell to the ground screaming but still squirming around as the cop attempted to cuff her. Her weakened fists stopped when the cop had to use his baton. Then she stopped resisting arrest and was thrown aginst the nearest wall away from the fall Aelita.

As Kathleen let her go, Aelita opened her eyes. She had some seconds before she remembered what happened, her head was numb from her bodies endorphins. But as she touched her forehead her fingertips brought back blood and this freaked her out.

She fainted on the floor before the nurse arrived with a med kit and several other cops appeared to assist. When she woke up, she was in the hospital on a clean white bed. The sleepiness went away and the bandages on her head she felt, again she recalled what had happened and being in a hospital meant she's safe. About that moment a nurse came in with a clipboard writing something down.

"Well it's good to see your awake, you wouldn't really be here for those flesh wounds but the school insisted. The doctor's already examined you and all you have is a few lacerations and going to be one heck of a bruise come tomorrow." She said as a group of familiar people followed in after her.

It was Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, and Jeremie bearing gifts and smiles.

"Gu…gu…guys!" she trembled with joy.

"Shhhhhhh….you need your rest don't get up okay." Jeremie and Yumi told her.

"It's really good to see you guys." Aelita sighed with happiness as they put bouquets of flowers on the table next to her.

"Well before I leave, you will feel some exhaustion but that's about it. You can pick up your prescriptions on your way out and you can leave in the morning. Have a nice day." And the nurse left.

"Your one tough cookie eh princess!" Odd cheered her.

"If we'd been here sooner, then you wouldn't be in this condition." Jeremie said sorrowfully looking to the floor.

"Guys I'm okay for now and that's all that matters, I'd like to put that mess behind me." She said laughing as the others did.

"Well Aelita would you like to come back with us so this won't happen again?" Ulrich asked her, since he was the one forced to.

They all looked at her anxiously for the right answer.

"No, I'm going to stay here and complete my education." After she said that, the others looked a little disappointed.

"But what if this happens again, what if she could have used that last bullet! What then, are you going to risk your life for some degrees!" Jeremie broke down and went all out.

"This was just one of those students who had the most horrible past she took upon others. That schools not full of them you know, besides I have a guardian who…." She trailed off and remembering that black haired boy who took a shot to the head.

Her eyes went small, heart rate increased, and her mind filled with questions. She attempted to get up and get to the door while shocking her friends but at the first step off the bed she fell. Ulrich and Jeremie where there to catch her but she squirmed.

"Aelita! What's gotten into you?" Jeremie panicked at her behavior.

"No no no he can't be dead. He can't be!" she shouted but her vision went fuzzy and her head went light.

The boys got her back onto the bed and covered her up with the bed sheet. She wore the tired look and soon fell asleep from her injuries after affect.

"I wonder who she was talking about?" Yumi asked the others who where just as well perplexed.


	19. Chapter 19

Blessed

Aelita awoke the next morning around six, her friends had stayed in the room and slept by her. Their presence was comforting until she recalled getting off the bed for something. Then it came to her like a revelation, "No no no he can't be dead. He can't be!" she said struggling out of the bed.

The pink haired patient got off her bed carefully and got out of the room in her hospital gown. Closing the door she saw the hallway was slow, the sun hadn't even come up yet. She made her way to a nurse she found coming out of an elevator.

"Exuse me miss? I'm looking for a boarding school student named Nathan, he was involed in a shooting." Aelita asked the woman.

"Ummm….give me a minute." The nurse spoke over a walkie talkie and got a response, "Room 242 down the hall."

"Thankyou." Aelita told her and made her way to the destination.

Odd had woken up strangely enough and noticed his best friend missing. He got up and woke Jeremie by shaking him awake and almost knocking off his glasses.

"Hey Einstein, Aelita's missing!" Odd loudly whispered to him.

They both raced out the door and looked around, they split up and went down both ways of the hall. Jeremie was first to see Aelita disappear behind a corner and he signaled Odd. They went to find her and soon saw her go into a room, room 242. They both where perplexed at why she got up and left like she did, but they followed her.

Aelita entered the room and found Guerrmo and Terra sitting down on some chairs reading something. When they saw her they where filled with over glee.

"Hey how's my room mate doing! You had me all worried, Kila is at the school waiting for you. The principle didn't tell us everything so we were lost to your location." She practically cried hugging the bandaged girl to a crushing depth.

"I'm…okay…Terra your…crushing me!" Aelita said choking.

"Oh I'm just so glad your okay." Terra wiped her eyes.

"I for one feel the same as well." Guerrmo said opening his arms for a welcome hug too, Aelita gave him a hello type of hug.

"Where's Nathan?" Aelita asked.

"Well, he got a gunshot to the top part of his head. The doctors where amazed that at the curve of his head and the angle of the bullet, he merely got a concussion but no penetration." Terra informed her friend.

"How that happened I don't know." Guerrmo swayed his head.

"He got that because of me. When Kathleen had us cornered, he shoved me behind him and he got shot." She looked to her left where a sleeping boy lay. Bandage on his center forehead had a bloody spot.

"He had a vein shattered by the shell but the doc's managed to stop the bleeding with a substitute bridge. He nearly bled to death before the paramedics got to him. He must really love you to almost die like that. I guess he was truly blessed this day." Guerrmo said looking to his friend.

"That I guess as well, tell him I came. For me okay?" Aelita asked as she went up to the boy.

She rubbed his face and then kissed him before she left. Sullem all the way till she opened the cracked door to reveal Jeremie and Odd falling back from surprise.


	20. Chapter 20

Questions

"Jeremie?" Aelita said surprised as he and Odd fell backwards onto the floor.

They had a dumbfound look on them on their first reaction seeing the girl but quickly got up confused.

"May I ask why your not in your bed and in another patients room?" he asked crossing his arms.

"How long where you at that door?" she questioned them keeping her ground.

"Aelita?" Jeremie pressed on, but Terra and Guerrmo wanted to help.

"How about if I ask, how long where you behind that door?" Guerrmo walked up to the girls side looking intimidating.

"I…uh…we were…" Jeremie cowered from the five foot ten inches boy.

"We where looking for our friend and well you guys where already talking so we wanted to be curdious." Odd lied respectfully, "Aelita you should come back with us, I mean you could get light headed again you know?"

"I guess your right, well I'll see you two later okay. Say hi to Kila for me." Aelita waved them as she exited through the door.

"I'm guessing that's Jeremie huh?" Guerrmo asked.

"Yup, it's him alright. But he's quite the nice guy once you get to know him, the only thing to change that is what he heard just now." Terra spoke with hopelessness.

At Aelita's Dorm

The rest of the day Aelita and the others had a unpleasant silence around them. Odd was the one to tell Yumi and Ulrich about what he and Jeremie heard, where their princess went. As promised they were allowed to go home, or more to say the prepatory school and Aelita's room. The school's car drove them there.

They were walking to the main doors when Aelita spoke.

"I'm going to go see if Kila's in and tell her you guys have arrived." She said coldly as went in ahead of them.

"I see she's made quite the home here." Yumi said breaking the silence.

Aelita went up the stairs and turned to her hallway, making it to the door and knocked.

Kila swung the door open and jumped on her.

"Oh I'm so glad your alright!" she said very happily close to suffocating the girl.

"It's good to see you too." Aelita got out.

"So, Terra called me and told me your old pals have arrived." She said inviting her in.

Aelita took a seat on her bed and Kila on hers parallel. Kila was hoping to have at least a laugh or two of memories and the mess yesterday but it seems the mess has yet to unfold.

"I…I have something to tell you. My friends did indeed come here, only after yesterday when I was in the hospital. Well as you can expect I remembered about Nathan and this morning I went to check on him. He's okay and I kind of kissed him and showed a deep affection to him. What I'm getting at is Jeremie and Odd heard and may of seen it." She looked sad and worried.

"Oh my, I'm pretty sure if he did. Your old boyfriend is feeling down in the dumps. But what does he expect, you to be sterile throughout your stay here? Your only human Aelita, your free you have a life. No matter what has happened in the past everyone has a choice, if they really love you they want you to be happy." Kila seemed to take on a different person as she spoke.

"I guess your right…but my past is much different and no one can match it. I'm special in a bad way and they helped me and the world out of it. We have a special bond only matched by what…war buddies?" she said with sarcasm.

"Whatever you history may be, everyone has had trouble or something that could have hurt countless others. Oh man look at me I'm starting to sound like Terra." Kila giggled, "I don't care what I've been through, even if I haven't experienced the worst."

"If you where in my position you would think otherwise." Aelita got up and went to the window, "They should be here very soon, I don't wish to let them see we had this talk."

"Fine by me, what else do you want from me?" Kila fell on her bed.

"They won't be in the best of moods so try not to hit on Odd at this moment okay, I wouldn't do much but make small talk to give them some friendliness." Aelita said and a knock on the door followed short behind.

She went to answer it when Kila had something to say.

"Whatever you guys fought or dealt with I do hope it's worth all this stress your getting." Kila warned her


	21. Chapter 21

Waking

It's the afternoon of the day after the shooting in a prepatory school. News Officlas where kept out of the school until the cops did some investigating that day it' happened. Presently no news crews would show up since it's Christmas day, all was thrown out of schedule.

Nathan awoke from his unconsciousness feeling a little light headed. His vision became clear through the fuzziness, feeling to his limbs came back and a minimal bruise like pain pulsed on his forehead.

"Hey he's up." Some said.

The boy finally sat up in his bed and looked around confused.

"Hey how's our hero doing?" a girl said.

"Who's the hero? Where am I? Who am I?" Nathan asked looking at a blonde girl with curly bangs.

"Why your Nathan." She said feeling hurt.

"I'm Nathan?" he responded.

"Dude, do you know who I am?" a tall boy with a letterman jacket on came up next to the girl.

"Okay, who are you and where am I?" Nathan said assertedly.

Aelita's Dorm

"Hi, I'm Kila and this is Terra, Aelita, and Kila's Dorm room. Now we have rules so just use common sense and you'll be fine." Kila told them trying to be a smartass.

The gang came in and looked around, the room was better then Kadic's dorms. More space, better paintjobs, good view everything look so nice it took a little of their edgy behavior off.

They all sat down either on Aelita's bed or the small three chaired round table. Small talk ensued which helped but Jeremie kept his thoughts to himself. All in all, everyone but Jeremie had some laughs and good talk. The atmosphere became pleasant and Kila kept her eye on Odd the whole time. Kila went on ahead to give Ulrich, Yumi, and Odd a small tour of the place and give the other two some time alone.

"So uh…you really like this place?" Jeremie said looking at some picture frames on the desk.

"It's quite pleasant and most homely to me." She answered fiddling with her hair.

"You value your friends here?" he asked.

"Yes I met them coming here on the bus." She responded.

"You value what we have or should I say had!" he blurted out.

She looked away and kept messing with her hair.

"What happened huh? I thought we had at least something between us maybe a connection or something I don't know?" he used his arms to also talk with gestures.

"Look I'm human aren't I? I have a life too we are not married!" she scorned him.

"Wha…what!" he felt like his heart was struck with a blunt object.

"You heard me, so what we have our history yes but am I suppose to go through this life by myself when your not around. I know we showed our affections to each other yet did we declare our love?" she got up and stood in his face, "You only told me that you would fight for my and protect me, we kissed…..we have a love between us I know that indeed. But this new life is complicating things and almost replacing them. It's like another Kadic here, with it's own Xana who also nearly got me but I had help. From you guys in different bodies and you who almost died trying to protect me. You see from my point of view, I'm split between to worlds and it's hard to go back to either one now. With you guys bearing down on me it makes life even harder."

"I didn't know….I…I'm sorry Aelita please forgive me?" he held her arms and tried to look into her eyes.

She rejected his attempts to see her and shrugged off his hold. He watched her walk out of the room and leave him without so much as a goodbye or a wave.

"Man, why didn't I try an evaluate the situation first before letting my imagination get out of hand." He said smacking his head in frustration.

Aelita walked through the hall and down the stairs to the front office. She stopped her sniffling and fixed herself before anyone saw her. She walked up to the secretary's eating some Christmas day food.

"Excuse me but has the Dance here been rescheduled?" she asked.

"Yes it'll be after tomorrow." The woman answered finishing what looked like a cheese ball with chips, "Your that poor girl who got into that mess with the gun totting girl right? Oh you sweet little thing, come here. Here a free drink on us."

"Why thankyou." Aelita received the Dr. Pepper can and opened it.

"Oh my, does that bandage cover any scars?" the woman asked.

"Only a few cuts but mostly bruises. Thankyou for the drink though." She exited the office and was waved out by the secretary's.

She walked out and went around the school, thinking as she walked. But her conscious mind felt guiltless about how she left the blonde haired spectacle wearing boy. She had been confined to the knowledge of one place and few friends, however, being introduced to a new country and people her eyes where more open then before. Her whole perspective has been changed. But her train of thought was broken when a Guerrmo and Terra came running to her.

"Hi" she said bewildered.

"Aelita you got to come with us now!" Terra seemed worried.

"What, did Kathleen get loose?" she joked.

"No, Nathan has amnesia." Terra told her.

"The doc's said he may of gotten it from the bullets impact and from his head falling on the sidewalk so hard." Guerrmo added.

"Oh no…what did they say about him?" she walked faster with them to what appeared to be the boys dormitory.

"They gave him some prescriptions to speed up the process but they said the combination of both injuries might take anywhere from the next 24 hours to several years before he will be completely normal." Terra told her as they opened the door.

Aelita found her familiar school guide messing with a paintball gun cluelessly.

"Nathan!" she went up and hugged him.

"Oh…uh do I know you? Your quite the friendly one." He laughed patting her head not knowing how to respond to her action.


	22. Chapter 22

Killer Time

Guerrmo, Terra, Aelita, and Nathan are in the boys room. Aelita broke the hug after hearing what he said to her affections.

"Don't you remember me! You saved me from Kathleen and almost died from a bullet!" she said worried.

"Well you are a very pretty girl, as much as Terra, Terra right? But no you don't look familiar I'm sorry. But I guess we must have something between us if I was to risk my own life for you." That last part stung everyone else.

"He's got some amnesia alright?" Guerrmo joked but Terra gave him a glare.

"I got Jeremie confused and angry, now I have you who doesn't even remember me at all." Aelita said tearing and left the room.

The door closed behind her, as soon as she left the intercoms came on.

"Will the student Nathan please report to the front office. Your family is here waiting to pick you up." A female voice sounded and a click signaled she finished.

"Hey we'll take you to your family. Most likely they just got the news right now and they want to see you." Guerrmo gestured him to leave with them.

The day passed uneventfully, Aelita slept in her dorm room with her dorm mates. But an uncomfortable feeling in the room kept any such common fun that use to inhabit their room. Aelita's old friends where allowed to stay in the guest quarters, they didn't met since that one time in the room they all talked.

The next morning came and things quelled another few levels. At breakfast it was like Kadic again, they all forgot about yesterday and put the misunderstanding behind them. Apparently Jeremie told the others about what had happened so they wanted their temporary stay to be good.

"Man this food is……amazing!" Odd shouted engulfing a plate of eggs, sausage patties, and seasoned hash browns.

"I didn't think he could eat more then what he does at our school. Introducing him to a high place like this, I fear he may actually burst." Ulrich chuckled out.

"This food is amazing, what do famous chefs make this food!" Yumi said eating an small assorted tray of her own selects.

"I guess you could say that, this school using the new health plan experimenting around the nation. All of this is cooked in the healthiest way possible and with the freshest foods available." Aelita told them.

"You can say that again." Kila said smiling as she rested her head on her palms looking dreamily at Odd.

"I think someone has a crush." Ulrich whispered into Yumi's ear.

She nodded and smiled to him.

"Hey there's going to be a dance tomorrow if you guys want to come?" Kila said still looking dreamy.

"What do you guys say huh?" Aelita asked.

"I'm up for it."

"Sure"

"Ya…." And a bunch of muffled words in the pancakes.

"Well we should go to the mall and get some clothing for it. My treat?" Aelita got up and threw her tray away.

The gang agreed and they spent the day getting ready for the dance. Guerrmo went to his friend's house and told him about the dance, in his state though he happily agreed. Normally he'd be most hesitant at social events. So with the permission of his family, and many hugs that nearly crushed the poor boy from his family, they left in Guerrmo's car to the mall as well.

The boys listened to some music which strangly enough caused some Dejavou in Nathan's mind. Unfortunatly it was temporary and so they parked and went inside the busy mall.

"Man I hope we find something, all this after holiday shopping might of taken our choices away." Guerrmo said looking around for a good outlet store.

"Let's try this one, they have those awesome dress shirts and pants." He said.

"Hey you remembered that, cool. Let's go in and see if you can remember your style if not, I'll help."

Well two hours passed and they got what they where looking for. The guys left their store about a few minutes past C.L. gang getting out of theirs. But the crowds kept each other from seeing them. Another coincidence is that both groups went to the food court for some fast food. As well as three of Kathleen's followers looking for some revenge, as stupid as they where they where dogs well trained and now about to do their duty.

"Man okay, so after I pelted you in the chest and groin you complied with our deal and said all that. Then you met her!" Guerrmo gave his friend a helpful recall though it didn't help but cause some laughs.

But Guerrmo stopped laughing when he saw the trio of brutes walking around in punk uniforms. They saw him and Nathan and immediately went for them. Guerrmo's eyes widened and he pulled his friend to his side out of his chair and flipped the table. Just as the trio neared, causing a ruckus.

"What the fuck fool, you tryin to mess up my shoes huh? Let's fuck them up!" the leader said as they pulled out short metal chains, another kept his hands in his pockets.

Soon a fight insued which got the attention of the C.L. gang feasting on some pizzas and corndogs.

"What the!" Ulrich said surprised as he shot up in his chair.

Crowds of people where running out of the food court or jumping behind the service counters of the restaurants there. They saw three punkish looking guys with chains swinging at two other guys. Everyone got up and got as close as they could, the tall boy in a letterman jacket tackled one of the brutes while the other ducked a chain and kicked one guy in the groin. The injured one went down clutching himself while the boy, they came to know as Nathan from Aelita, went to help out the tall boy wrestling.

But as he did, the sneaky looking one who stayed out of the fight at first came from behind and with a glimmer of something shiny he jabbed in the back and stomach of the one trying to help his friend. Guerrmo punched his wrestler with such ferocity he KO'd him and only got to see the stabber disappear out the exit doors. His friend fell back to a wall where blood smeared around the initial area the stabbing took place and aginst the wall that supported him.

"Oh come on don't be hurt!" Guerrmo said checking the wounds salivating with red liquid.

"Dam, he shanked me…..he actually stabbed me." Nathan whimpered as he coughed out some blood from the stab wound to his right lung.

"Dammit!" Guerrmo left to look for some napkins to plug up the wounds.

The gang arrived at that time and looked over the mess. Ulrich held down the KO'd guy and Yumi, with the help of a burger outlet worker, tied the groin injured brute. The others not occupied tried to be of some aid as the other boy handed them wads of paper napkins.

"Shit!" Guerrmo spit as more blood seepted from his friends mouth.

"It hurts bad man…I don't know if I can stay awake." Nathan whimpered.

"Stay with us don't close your eyes!" Jeremie said as he doctored him from what he remembered off the internet hospital sites.

"Please stay here for me…please don't leave me." Aelita cried hard cupping the boys face.

"Who are you?" he said before closing his eyes and his breathing stopped.

"Fuck!" Jeremie cussed, "His lungs are filling up with too much fluid. Where the hell is that ambulance I called!"

They all stopped their doctoring but Jeremie and Guerrmo. The boy's blood coated their fingers and the ground.

"If he doesn't get med help fast…..I don't know if he's even still with us." Jeremie said sadly.

Nathan was slumped up against the blue wall with bits of red coating that oozed up and around him. His head slack looked to the ground lifeless.

What was left inside himself, in his mind, a phrase kept repeating with the picture of that lovely pink haired girl. The phrase...

"Can I join You...May I please sit with you? Are You There?"


	23. Chapter 23

Mixing Fact

That day, a horrible stabbing incident took place and it seems that a young boy may have almost died. The police report explained disturbed young students at a prestigious school went on a rampage and put a student in critical condition. However thanks to the aid of good Samaritans, the child survived with only two stab wounds and blood loss. The two subdued attackers were immediately arrested and the third was taken down by one of the good Samaritans, a foreign student called Ulrich Stern. All where taken into custody and will be charged with attempted murder, their sentences will most likely be three years in psycho analysis and revocation from the school. As for the victim, a paramedic team was there coincidently hosting a standard public health display. The two man team where able to aid the child and secure his condition till an ambulance arrived.

Four days later

"Now that was one crazy day." Odd sighed flipping to another channel.

"So he gets out today right?" Yumi asked relaxing on the couch near Ulrich.

"The doctors said he should be back to himself today, yup around four today." Jeremie answered happily, he and Aelita sat next to each other on the two seater couch in the student lounge.

They got access from Terra and Kila who were playing pool with Guerrmo.

"So um…I was thinking Odd!" Kila shouted across the room to him.

"Ya, what's up Kila." Odd jumped over the couch and walked to the pool table.

"Uhhh……ehh…cou..could you join me at the dance?" Kila said blushing like a rose petal.

"Ya, I'll be seeing you at the dance we all will." He said cluelessly.

"No…I meant would you be…my um…date for the New Years Dance?" she said nearly breaking her pool stick in half from the anticipation.

"Oh…well sure…okay." He grinned nervously.

"Oh thankyou!" Kila hugged him on the spur of the moment and returned to the pool game.

As they walked to the front of the school, they looked around them and felt the warm winter weather. Something new to the gang since they lived in France and only saw freezing conditions during such seasons. Aelita though concentrated on that fateful day that put her protector in the hospital yet again.

Flash Back

"It hurts bad man…I don't know if I can stay awake." Nathan whimpered.

"Stay with us don't close your eyes!" Jeremie said as he doctored him from what he remembered off the internet hospital sites.

"Please stay here for me…please don't leave me." Aelita cried hard cupping the boys face.

"Who are you?" he said before closing his eyes and his breathing stopped.

"Fuck!" Jeremie cussed, "His lungs are filling up with too much fluid. Where the hell is that ambulance I called!"

They all stopped their doctoring but Jeremie and Guerrmo. The boy's blood coated their fingers and the ground.

"If he doesn't get med help fast…..I don't know if he's even still with us." Jeremie said sadly.

Nathan was slumped up against the blue wall with bits of red coating that oozed up and around him. His head slack looked to the ground lifeless.

End of Flash Back

That one phrase, the last words he said to her burned her every time she thought of it. After all they'd been through, he still had amnesia and enough to of almost let him die still oblivious. But none of it affected her as bad as it did a couple of days ago, now the doctors called and told everyone he's back to normal and fully functional. He'll remember all up to the incident with the gun. Something she looked forward too, seeing him again.

But Jeremie still was jealous, till the day his love told him she wanted someone else. He was going to see to it that she and this boy didn't get too close as long as he's around them.

A hospital marked vehicle pulled up and out came a familiar black haired boy from the back seat. Aelita was first out of everyone to go up and greet him, then her dorm mates, Guerrmo, and then the others. His friendliness was quite enjoyable to her, he picked her up and they hugged. Nathan teared a little but cleared up his face as the others came to greet him as well. He put Aelita down and went on to hug his close gang of friends, each exchanged tears and laughs.

"So I must take it you all are Aelita's old friends yes?" he asked shaking their hands.

"Ya, we came here a few days ago." Yumi said.

"Right before that horrible mess at the ma…Oww!" Ulrich elbowed him to stop the recollection.

"It's alright, I had everything cleared up by the police yesterday. Though I am glad I don't remember any of it.

Odd glared at the brown haired boy for the unnecessary pain and rubbed his side.

"And your Jeremie correct? Aelita's talked of you a lot before the winter end exams. You should be very proud to have met her first, I know I wish I did." Nathan grinned and chuckled, "Well shall we go in, Terra also told me that we have a New Years Dance coming, and I would really like to get some egg nog in my stomach." He and the others went in, Aelita holding his left arm closely.

Jeremie took some time before he ran up to them, he was thinking of his rivals words.

'Who does he think he is? I guess we are similar though, but let the games begin.' He said to himself joining Yumi and Odd.


	24. Chapter 24

Combat Evaluation

The gang all went inside and talked all the way, not a peep of negative emotions nearby. Settling in the student lounge and conversating on entertaining news and sports. It was like a small party in there, Odd and Aelita brought in a boom box as Ulrich turned on the ceiling TV and put it on some sports network. Some teachers came in to partake in the fun as well.

"Now there's a good team, they have won enough games to get to the playoffs." A teacher in his twenties said sitting with Ulrich and Jeremie watching the sports play by play.

"I've seen them too." Ulrich said as the news center displayed score charts of recent games.

The teacher took a drink from his glass and put it back on the coaster. Jeremie got up and went to find Aelita. Yumi and Aelita's dorm mates where playing pool with a female teacher in her thirty's.

"It seems like you and me are like sisters." Yumi joked as Kila put a ball in the left corner pocket.

"Aelita told me so much about you and your past experiences, hope you don't mind. There in lies our similarities, we hold the same philosophies if you wish to call them that." Terra told her as she nodded in agreement.

The overhead light above the pool table shone a dull yellow and the multi colored pool balls shone under it. Guerrmo, Odd, and Nathan sat on some low lying chairs and talked about their sport of paintball to Odd. Who seemed to be taking an interest in it.

"Well I've played soccer, dive, but not a sport like that. Hey the next time you guys head out take me with you." Odd said acting like he would start off like an expert.

"We'll be glad too, Guerrmo will teach you the ropes and you can watch me kick some butt on the field." Nathan gloated.

"His weakness lies in his own technique." Guerrmo tried to whisper to Odd.

"Man if he beats me because you told him that…" Nathan gave him a glare.

"Hey have any of you guys seen Aelita?" Jeremie came by and stood looking at them a little worried.

"Ya, she's over there by the drink dispensers." Nathan pointed behind him.

"Thanks." He headed off.

"Man someone worries too easily." Odd told the guys as if he was trying to keep it between them.

The two just chuckled and took sips of their drinks.

"Aelita! Aelita!" Jeremie didn't see her at the bar and started to panick, he panicked even more when someone's hand grasped his shoulder.

He jumped and looked to see who it was, Aelita stood there smiling handing him a soda.

"I thought you might want something since all you had was coffee." She giggled at his sigh of relief, taking the drink from her and returning the smile.

"Everyone's enjoying themselves and this place feels like one of those high priced lounges like the ones at clubs and stuff." Jeremie told her taking hold of her hand as they walked to the low lying couches and join the guys.

"Hey so what are you guys talking about?" Aelita asked as her and Jeremie took a seat.

"Odd wants to try out paintball." Nathan grinned.

"Ya, we told him sure we'll do it." Guerrmo added.

"You two think I can do the sport too don't ya?" he asked with hope to boost his ego.

"After what Nathan got on his neck from playing the Alamo? Odd if you can bear the pain the I guess you can." She said taking a long sip.

Jeremie just looked around and evaded the question.

"You don't think I can bare standing the pain! I'll prove you wrong, hey want to play before the dance!" Odd asked demandingly at the two boys.

They looked to each other and talked lowly so he couldn't hear them, Nathan shrugged and they looked back to him.

"Deal!" Guerrmo told Odd, "We will give you a piranha marker with laser sight, halo hopper, and a medium sized CO2 container. Nathan's got an armory in the schools equipment room. But fair to warn you, he and I have been this school's tournament champs for two years running."

"Two years! Ah hahahahaha, I'll take you down." Odd laughed at them thinking they only played two tournaments.

"Two years of thirty tournaments." Nathan broke Odd's bubble.

Odd looked dumbfounded and shook off the fact as he would do when Ulrich or Yumi joked of his food consumption.

Jeremie listened to the talk and found a great way to prove himself that he was better suited for Aelita. In his head he thought, 'I have the brains, as long as I can fire the gun I'll make the tactics in seconds and bring this boy down from his high chair. Aelita should see my victory and like me even more then him.' Inside he laughed evilly.

"So uh…Nathan, mind if me and Odd team up against you guys?" Jeremie asked like it was nothing as he swirled the drink in his hand.

The two looked at him and for a second looked like they wanted to laugh their hearts out but didn't.

"Well Odd looks like you have a team mate for tomorrow." Nathan grinned, "We will make sure your first day will be one heck of a day."

"Your on!" Jeremie shouted with his own smile, "Aelita would you like to come and watch us?"

"I've seen the game myself when I went with them to watch awhile ago. I'd love to come thank you." The knowledge that she has seen his rival play got Jeremie's heart steamed.

But his tactics will do him a world of great, and just before the dance too! Now if he successes, she and him would be together the whole time and she wouldn't accept his offers to dance with him.

Next Day

They ate breakfast and everyone prepared for the busy day. All the girls except Aelita would be busy getting ready for the dance as well as Ulrich. But the others where prepping for the showdown.

Nathan unlocked a large cabinet closet to reveal several guns on a rack and many accessories strewn about on the bottom. The guys picked their gun of choice and they grabbed their equipment, but Odd and Jeremie had too figure out what to take by themselves.

After getting their equipment, they went to their changing rooms. Nathan and Guerrmo came out in camouflage pants, and grey shirts and tournament grade armor. Jeremie and Odd put on two layers of shirts and thick jeans and came out looking like different people.

"How can you walk and play with those huge things on?" Jeremie pointed to Nathan's deer hunting boots.

"Well tiny…you got to exercise and then these will feel like simple shoes." Nathan got back at him and rubbed his hair like an annoying big brother.

He was slightly taller thanks to the height of the boots. Guerrmo wore more military like boots instead and Odd wanted a pair for himself.

They drove to the field an hour later and took everything to an open table. As they unpacked and got ready, the mask that Nathan and Guerrmo put on intimidated their opponents, Odd and Jeremie.

"We'll meet you down at the ghost town field, the one with white buildings. You go on the other side and the ref will give the count down!" the two said leaving to the open battleground.

"Jeremie you know you don't have to do this?" Aelita told him as she put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I can't leave Odd to those two, what friend would I be right Odd." He said smiling as he lied to her.

"Well just don't stay put thinking of what to do, just aim and pull the trigger okay Einstein?" Odd seemed agitated as he struggled with the accessories.

The two boys left ready to play and where chronoed on the field so their guns weren't too powerful.

"I have two boys in love with me and ones willing to go the length and prove himself." She swayed her head in amazement, "Oh Jeremie I can always see the truth in your eyes, even if you lie but don't get yourself hurt okay?" she said to herself sitting and waiting for the game to begin.

The two blonde haired boys made their way to the other side and gave their go ahead to the ref.

"3…..2…..1….GO!" the female ref shouted.


	25. Chapter 25

Game 1

The game started and each team spread out to each side. Nathan had his left and Guerrmo the right, Jeremie had his right and Odd had their left. So the combat matching's where Jeremie against Nathan and Odd aginst Guerrmo.

Jeremie looked through a knothole in the wood board, Odd was already taking shots off. His guns firing echoed into Jeremie's ear like a small drum. At Odd's first seven burst shots, Jeremie closed his ears off with his hands since his ears haven't faced such a loud sound before. Being confined to a computer did it's damage to his bodies tolerance.

Suddenly he opened his eyes and dropped his gun when a hail of paintballs pelted his cover. Picking up his gun fast, Jeremie waited for the paintballs to stop and he looked through another knothole. Nathan is hiding behind a T shaped board cover but at the moment he's standing up with his gun aimed at him. The barrel stared at Jeremie with a black eye which hungered for a target.

"Uh uh uhhhh...I see your movement now how to counter it?" Jeremie said as he contemplated on a move.

But his train of thought was cut off when Odd fired more shots again and he heard Guerrmo cuss in pain.

"I'm Out!" Guerrmo shouted as he raised his gun in the air.

"Ya, I got him wooooooo!" Odd yelled jumping up with glee then another gun blared and Odd was hit three times in the face mask and once in the purple spot in his blonde hair.

"Your Out!" Nathan shouted as he faced Jeremie again.

Jeremie looked away from Odd back to his opponent only to see him as he was like he never moved. He growled with frustration but continued on thinking of a way to side step his fire and get him out. Sadly his thoughts where cut short when he saw Nathan move from his cover behind a few barrels to Jeremie's left. Giving his opponent more of an aim at him, fortunately Jeremie acted on instinct and pulled his gun aim. Nathan and him exchanged many rounds and paint splatter decorated their bodies until one of Jeremie's rounds hit Nathan's hopper and popped the lid open.

"I'm out!" Nathan said raising his hand and gun up, Jeremie so much wanted to pour his hole hopper on him and he accidentally did. Right in Nathan's chest and belly four shots found home.

"Oww, Damit!" Nathan knelt down to avoid more shots, "I said I'm out you idiot!"

"Hey games over, everyone come out!" the female ref shouted and the two emerged and went to the out box.

Walking over to the other two Jeremie felt worried and nervous of what his actions may have just done for him.

"So, you want to play pro huh?" Nathan fumed in Jeremie's face, "Well you'll get your wish, you, me, speed ball in five fuel up pretty boy cause I'm going to rub you out."

Nathan and Guerrmo left the field area to the store, leaving Odd and Jeremie to await the next game.

"You had to go off and make him angry didn't you?" Odd asked through his mask putting his left hand on his hip as he usually does.

"I…I didn't mean to it just went off." Jeremie said paranoid.

"Well thanks Einstein, this games been great so far. Now that you've gone off and made him angry he'll probably bust out with this rad gun. And I'll get my revenge on him for getting me in the hair." Odd grinned with anticipation.

At the Store Room

"That fool don't know what he just gone and done!" Nathan this gun on the duffle bag which caught it like a pillow.

"What are you going to do?" Guerrmo said putting his gun down on the bench.

He followed his friend into the front of the store to see Sunny and his wife at the cash register.

"What's up sonny, hey has my new gun come in yet?" Nathan asked leaning on the counter.

"Wow, your alright! That's good too see, how is your family?" the manager of the store said putting away some cash from a recent buyer.

"My family's doing alright, oh and Uncle Tim says hello." He told him.

"Thank you, so you want your gun. It came in the day you got that first gunshot to the head and I couldn't think of troubling you just for this. But it's here and let me just pick it…..up." he said grunting with the box.

"It's all here?" Nathan took the box from him.

"Yup, the Ion marker, custom feed and air pack holder with coil wire, a Halo hopper, short barrel inside and the Alien barrel, finally the new electronic operation system with feather light trigger." Sonny told him as the two boys motioned to outside.

"Take care man." Guerrmo told him.

"Later guys." The two left and opened the box to reveal a fully assembled system.

"You sure you want to do this, that does shot thirty rounds a second?" Guerrmo raised his brow.

"Hey, he shot when I was out and had my hands up. If he's going to be a bad sport then I'll show him what a pro can do!" Nathan said as he strapped the air and ammo canisters to his waist.

At the field

"He brought out a box." Jeremie told Odd as they stared on to the two working with something.

Just then another player came to them, his mask was mirrored so they couldn't see him.

"You two going against Nathan and Guerrmo?" he said in a popular person's tone.

"Yes, where here to try out the sport for the first time." Odd answered.

"Well how about I lend you these angels and if you put ten round on each of them you can….uh….well you got my recommendations for any future paintball careers." The guy in an paintball jersey with evil in big letters on the chest area.

"I don't know…" Jeremie said scratching his head.

"Here just take these." He shoved two paint guns into their arms as he took away their's.

"But these aren't like angels." Odd said unaware that was the name of the markers.

"Not as in the ones of heaven dimwit. They are one of the top of the line paint guns on the market so go get'em boys!" the guys said and walked away putting their guns on the bench next to the out box.

Next thing the two knew, Nathan and Guerrmo came back but they came back with bulky packs and a sleek fancy designed. With a hose connected to the gun leading to a CO2 in the pack, several paint ammo holders where strapped safely to the pack as well.

'Oh man, what have you gotten yourself into Jeremie!' Jeremie said to himself.


	26. Chapter 26

Game 2

The second round came and the boys took to action.

"Guerrmo rush out to the left and put some suppressive fire!" Nathan yelled as he hid behind several barrels.

"Got it!" his team mate shouted.

Nathan rose up quickly and fired upon Odd, who had several paintballs bounce off him and a bucket of paint splatter on him.

"What the heck! Jeremie, how much do these guys have it's like a river over here!" Odd shouted to Jeremie who was in the same predicament.

"Move up, go go go!" Nathan shouted and the paint poured on faster.

"Odd they're moving up fire on them before they get us!" Jeremie yelled as he readied for close shooting.

Yet that never came, instead the paint stopped and they couldn't see the opponents. But then it came to him like a revelation.

"Odd they're reloading fire, FIRE!" Jeremie said in desperation as they popped out of their decorated cover and searched for targets.

The two moved up, guns at the ready, and ran ahead. It wasn't even five seconds did they see their friends closing their hopper lids. Odd fired but missed every shot when his shoes caught the grass and he slipped. Nathan got a few shots on him and one hit where the sun don't shine. Guerrmo though looked up first before bringing his gun to bear and Jeremie got him three times in the mask..

Leaving Jeremie and Nathan at a stand off, each is five feet away from winning the game. The two stared at each other not moving one bit nor letting their eyes get off track. The suspense of who was going to shot first was deafening.

"So whimp, you gonna shot or not?" Nathan taunted Jeremie.

"I don't know, are you going to fix your vocabulary first?" Jeremie stung him back.

"That's because of where I grew up man, it's called culture. I think that's something you should grow inside that hollow shell you call yourself!" Nathan retaliated.

"I don't have to have flavor to show Aelita that I'm a good person!" Oh that had too hurt.

"Well at least I can protect her with my life! But oh wait I've already done that." The two started strafing into a circle at each other.

"You have no idea what me and the others have done for her." Jeremie growled.

"I won't question your sacrifices but here things are life and death and unfortunately it's not like a game where one could rewind time." Said Nathan.

"Enough of this lets finish this game before night comes!" Jeremie shouted.

The two still at a standoff continued it, until out of no where they both fired at the same time. The paint flew and seven rounds hit their bodies and guns.

"Alright game over it's a draw!" the female ref blew her whistle and the boys gathered at the outbox.

"Alright great game my buds." Nathan changed his personality to the normal laid back guy and shook Odd and Jeremie's hands.

The two blonde haired guys were left perplexed and confused at this.

"Okay what just happened?" Jeremie scratched his head as they saw the two sided person leave to the benches where Aelita and their stuff where.

"Don't bother with it too much, he's a person of emotion. One day he's a slacker and the next minute he could be an athlete with major competitive spirit. Took me two years to get use to that part of him." Guerrmo came up to them from behind and patted their backs like a coach.

"Good game bro!" Odd high fived him.

"Ya good game Guerrmo" Jeremie said still confused and lost, 'Man this guys remarkable!' he then thought.

In the end the gang packed up and left in the Ford F 2500, Guerrmo's vehicle. On the way they listened to some Three Days Grace and other rock groups till Aelita requested when the bass from the drums started to irritate her ears.

When they arrived at the school, after parking, the gang reunited in the old gym. The girls and Ulrich finished setting up everything so everyone could get ready at one time. But first the paint coated boys had to shower and all, the dance was tonight and at a nice huge arena down by the shores. The time is 2:34, can they all get ready by 6:45 all fixed to leave for the formal function?


	27. Chapter 27

I based this off of my homecoming dance last year but modified it to suit the high class prepatory school. So really this is what I witnessed.

The Dance

"Well does everyone have all they need?" Yumi said acting like the whole gang's check list.

Everyone nodded and agreed, well at least the boys. The rest of the girls went through their purses and looked into their mirrors, Terra and Aelita mostly while Kila clung to Odd blushing like nothing. The girls wore magnificent dresses that flowed off of their bodies as if the material was a silky cloud glimmering with sparkles, varying in lovely colors. The boys, well Ulrich, Odd, and Jeremie wore close to formal dress wear with ties. Nathan and Guerrmo had on similar clothing but without the ties and their dress shirts were untucked, their character the school knew of the boys thought they looked like themselves. Yumi, the mother figure of the group, wore a fine dress with a transparent thin scarf around her that had gold Japanese lettering on it. Her look really made Ulrich stutter every time he spoke to her.

"So, how are we going to get to the dance again?" Odd asked forgetting for the forth time this evening.

"Odd, look and remember, we are going by Nathan's family car. All of us can fit in there with no trouble….oh and the seatbelt for you is in the middle not the bottom." Jeremie told him answering all of his questions he'd asked him additionally to the second.

"Well let's hit the road before the crowds get there." Ulrich said stretching out.

The whole gang left in the huge car, everyone did get in easy and got out easy. At the front of the building hosting the dance, the girls got out and straightened their long elegant dresses. The guys got out and and only dusted off their clothing then paired up with their dates. But Nathan was alone in the pairings, Jeremie got the escort duty for Aelita. Guerrmo was too busy talking to Terra to notice his friend falling behind them, well actually no one noticed but it was the way Nathan wanted it. Odd and Kila were the last to enter and he was right behind them, handing his ticket in and following them.

Inside the building, was a tall roof, considering the place had atleast seven level. The light placement was perfectly alined on the walls, the gang followed a few early students through them. Going into a small cafeteria where little cute table were organized and had little vases with flowers on the red and white checkered tablecloth. Just a few steps from that and they came to the dance hall entrance, a few teachers were manning the ticket desk to stamp their hands and deem them official particapants.

Nathan passed the small cafeteria two minutes later and got to see his old government teacher.

"Hey Mr. Z." he smiled cordially.

"Hey what's up." The old man nodded his head at him not pausing in his walk to the bathrooms.

"Not to bad sir, don't got a date though." Nathan waved to him.

"Good luck man!" the teacher disappeared behind the pillars.

Nathan made it to the desk and got stamped, then he headed in and found his friends sitting at two table.

"Wow, so this is your schools kinda dance. At Kadic we have our things in the gym with a stage for the music. You all have table and chairs to sit on." Odd said amazed as his eyes drank in the wide highly decorated room with the schools colors mixed in.

"Our schools has high grades and successful future students so they give us this in reward." Guerrmo told him as the music started to pick up and the lights above them turned off in a pattern.

"They're testing the lights…ahhh there we go." Nathan told them as the table area's lights all turned on, "Well I'm going to get something to drink, I feel like some sprite." And he left them for the drink table.

After a half an hour, enough people came in to start the dance music. The first song was a weird one the gang didn't know. But went out to the now crowding dance floor and adapted quite fast. It was the cha cha cha song, Guerrmo helped Terra with the steps and turns so soon she got the hang of it. The girls giggled at the boys as their legs twisted around each other almost causing them to fall.

The next song was a tejano, again the cycle was repeated and went the same for the other genres that came up. But the three slow dances that came were real easy to do, no one failed at that but most blushed. However, Aelita and Jeremie stared into each others eyes throughout them. Odd joked about them, Ulrich and Guerrmo looked happy for them as well as the two girls, but someone was missing. Yet with all the fun, moving spotlights, loud music, and crowds made it hard for the gang to remember who it was.

It was only after ten songs, did they all come back to their table. Where they found Nathan sitting in a chair drinking soda, he'd gone through three of them. But all that came to them was they were thirsty as well. They all spent ten minutes with refreshments and then left for the floor again. Though the same person stayed behind and smiled at his group of friends enjoying themselves. A few of his acquaintances joined him for a few minutes and talked, but only temporary. The whole dance was only half way done, it didn't end till midnight so more gradually disappearing time to go for him and an hour for the others on the dance floor.


	28. Chapter 28

Romantic Slow Dancing

Everyone, minus one, was on the floor dancing to a great slow song. The girls looked like they were having the time of their lives, the boys just happy to be with them.

Yumi and Ulrich rested their heads on each others shoulders. Odd and Kila pressed their heads together lightly as they moved perfectly. Guerrmo and Terra were kissing every now and then, but Jeremie and Aelita looked like long time sweet hearts. Each locked their eyes together as the lights dimly washed over them. Dull pink and orange heated the rising passion between them. Not only did they enjoy dancing with one another in a school environment with other students, but they got to spend time to make up what they lost over the half year. As a bystander you could sit down and watch them as their eyes rarely blinked looking into their souls.

Nathan took a deep sip of his coca cola as he looked around to some few students at their tables talking and watching on. He sighed, another dance just the same, but at least he was able to study the dance patterns of everyone since he couldn't dance much.

"Aelita?" Jeremie asked her in a soft tone.

"Yes Jeremie." She said as they swayed slowly.

He kissed her, their lips made contact and almost glued together for some time. Aelita's lip gloss shone on his lips when they pulled apart.

"What's that for?" she smiled.

"I can't kiss the girl I'm in love with?" he told her a little stunned.

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, to hide her real reaction to that. What about Nathan, that boy, she thought of what was possibly going through his mind. Then she looked around for him, not on the dance floor. She felt slightly bad for him, remembering there was not another girl for him to go with or the girl he wanted to go with.

Hours passed and so did the music, swaying colorful lights, the dancing mambo, and the ending of the New Years Dance where they all would go outside to see the fireworks. The gang, all tired and sweating from the night, walked around and talked with other students there. But Aelita left Jeremie to search for someone not even there anymore. She went to their table but only the six coca cola cans were there among the ones they got. Grabbing her purse, she searched for her friend but to no avail. She even asked around to those Nathan had some friendship with, yet no one saw him.

But her heart began to take over, like a part of her was connected to the boy. She followed what her mind told her to do and going out of the building, she looked to the sea park area in front. There she found luck, Nathan was near a palm tree sitting on the grass and throwing pebbles into the sea water. The full moon light the area with a vanilla glow, he looked gloomy in that light. Aelita walked to him slowly and touched him on the shoulder, he jumped from surprise.

"Don't do that!" he shouted as he regained from the shock looking away from her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." Aelita sat down beside him, "So are you going to tell me why you didn't join us in the party dances?"

"I don't dance." He brooded over his true feelings.

"Oh you can't dance well I'm sure Ulrich and Odd would be more then happy to teach you." She suggested looking to the water.

"I'm good." He said.

"So all you did was watch us huh?" she asked knowing the answer already.

He didn't respond to her question and instead he felt his emotions bottling up to the brim.

"Look you could of asked me to dance. I'm sure Jeremie would of gladly let you cut in." she said as her smile faded away when he didn't answer right away.

Silence swept between the two and the romantic mood she expected just dwindled away.

"So your going to stay quiet again?" her tone went to a dull one.

Nathan got up and began to walk away down the beach. Aelita's eyes opened, he could be so rude.

"Nathan Hernandez stop!" she sounded like a mother and he stopped with a kick to the sand, "What is the matter with you!"

"Please just go in and join the others in the fun. You should while they are here." His heart sunk.

"I wouldn't leave you knowing your out here alone." She chuckled hurtly.

"Look I just want to be alone okay." He told her coldly.

"Nathan,….why don't you come and join us?" she advised him as she walked to his side.

"You and Jeremie obviously have history together and I vowed a long time ago to never get involved with someone who's already seeing someone. I'm feeling good and then bad, again I go to a dance and no date to go with." He told her still not making eye contact.

She knew that was coming and didn't know how to respond to it. She looked down to the sand under her nice pink pearl shoes guilty of what he just said. But something amazing happened, he kissed her fool hardedly on the lips his eyes shut closed. Her's wide open still shocked over the ordeal and still when he withdrew.

"But I broke it already so no sense in following now that I'm a hypocrite." She smiled lightly.

He then wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her into another passionate kiss. More intimately then ever. He enticed her glossy lips with the tip of his tongue and she let him into her. Aelita was happy, feeling light as air at the moment as their tongues battled it out gently so's to savor the feeling. Breaking for air, he hugged her tightly and let a few tears escape his eyes. She felt them go down her neck and heard his sniffles.

"I know I'm still young, but…but I need someone there to give me comfort during my hard times. Sometimes I feel like my heart just wants to burst out of my chest. But that one time you and I shared in your room, that wiped away the pain." He looked at her and cleaned his face.

She had no words, in her heart she was still debating and weighing the weights of both the males. What each seemed to be demanding of her too much at the moment.

"I'm flattered, but having you and Jeremie fight over me is hard on my judgment. I just want to go to this school and go to the university for now, love would only complicate things." She told him feeling down.

"I can be patient." He lifted her chin up with his index finger, "But could I at least get one dance from you….you know like you said."

Aelita nodded and they danced to their own music, near the palm tree and under the moon as the small waves lapped the shore. The smell of sea salt became a welcoming smell for them. They danced for five minutes in a slow song and stared at each other enjoying the scene. When they stopped they walked back to the building hand in hand.


	29. Chapter 29

Fireworks

The two walked in hand in hand, all the way to the dance halls doors. Then just before they went in the two shared one last passionate kiss that would last for some time. As they broke away, they fixed up too look like nothing had happened and opened the big white doors.

The gang was still up and about talking to students around the large room. The music still played and a few couples were on the dance floor. Nathan and Aelita separated and went other ways so's not to drum up any suspicion. Everything went quite well for the gang and the hour of the New Year came a knocking. The DJ stopped the music and told everyone of the fireworks display soon to come in five minutes.

"Alright couples and singles, the lightshow is about to begin! So please go to the beachfront and take your seats. Security will follow you all outside and you all know the drill! Have a Happy New Year!" the DJ said over the stereo as balloons and streamers fell from the ceiling.

A few of the students picked up the colorful spheres as they walked out and some boys used the streamers for fun. By throwing them on other people and getting tangled up in them themselves. The gang found separate seating's for the display, Jeremie and Aelita stood near the shores, Odd and Kila sat on the grass together and talked of funny past things, Nathan sat alone again but after a few minutes Guerrmo and Terra joined him with Nathan in between, Ulrich and Yumi stood near Odd and Kila as they also reminisced of the Xana era.

"Well I'm sorry you couldn't get at least one dance with someone." Guerrmo sighed.

"Don't worry, I have had my own dance with someone." He smiled to himself leaving the other two confused.

Terra was about to respond to this when the scream of rockets bursted out loud. Everyone looked up to the first explosions of rainbows, more and more came up and colored the sky with noise and colors. The bright full moon made the experience even better. The three hugged friendly, Ulrich and Yumi shared a kiss, Odd and Kila rested their heads against each other, and Jeremie and Aelita held hands as they drank in the scene. The booms and blasts echoed across the bay, its smell went into everyone's nose, city and moon light gave a romantic mood, all was perfect.

End of Christmas Vacation

The old gang with Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, and Jeremi left for France since their holiday time came to an end. Leaving our new gang to go back to school. They continue their prepatory schooling and graduated the levels necessary to move to the high school. The new school was in another state so all the students had to pack up and move. Which all went well, but now they're freshmen in this four grade school. New people and new enemies, not to mention harder work to deal with. However, their pairings were remarkably the same as they were in the prepatory school, Aelita and the girls then Guerrmo and Nathan who's dorm was not to far away.


	30. Chapter 30

Meeting an Old Friend

The new gang settled in quite nicely and all their stuff unpacked allowed an easy break time. The good thing is they all have the next two months off for summer vacation before the major classes and schedules begin. Nathan and Guerrmo invited the girls to some beach fun near a famous fishing pier.

Driving in Guerrmo's truck to the beach, they began loading up the needed stuff. Kila packed their lunches; everyone knew she made the most delicious sandwiches in the whole region. Terra packed the towels, change of cloths, and other beach stuff for everyone, the boys took care of the manual labor, and Aelita packed the medi kits and emergency supplies that would go behind the seats.

"Hey Terra how's the packing going?" Aelita asked stopping by their room where the blonde girl was busy.

"Oh…I'm just about done here. You need any help?" she asked zipping the duffle bag closed.

"Na, I'm done too." She smiled and left for the student kitchen.

Kila had joined the bakery and cooking class and club. Thus she was also a great cook whom the head chef of the club nominated as possible top cook for the school's cook off tournament. So she was given full access to the bakery's refrigerator as long as she turned up a great dish each month. Aelita turned the corner, coming down the stairs, and went out the two huge doors. The golden bright sun and it's heat greeted her like she just opened a lighted stove on 450 F. She put her hand to her eyes as she focused through the blinding light. She went down the small stairs and made a quick walk to another large building, then went through a a small white door. Inside her eyes stopped hurting and the ceiling lights lit the bakery smoothly.

To her right, ten long tables were positioned as a if paying attention to the kitchen area. Aelita looked to her left and there in the fancy and clean kitchen was Kila packing a few plastic wrapped eats.

"Hi Kila!" Aelita waved to her as she strolled to her friend.

"Hey we all ready to go?" Kila asked pushing a few strands of rebellious purple hair from her view.

"Yes, I have the supplies and Terra has the clothing packed as well. The boys should be loading that up by now. So you want me to assist you with that?" Aelita laughed at the large blue and white cooler stuffed with ice and food.

"I guess I went a little over board." Kila smiled embarrassed since the others couldn't possibly eat all that she packed.

The girls carried the cooler outside and locked up before going to the parking lot.

"Man it's hot!" Kila whined as sweat started going for her eyes.

"We're almost there." Aelita said struggling with the weight as they went through a small gate.

The boys met up with them and gladly took the heavy cooler out of their hands. Terra joined them and passed out some small wet towels. The gang began to get into the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche Truck, Aelita was about to get in when a hand touched her shoulder, and a familiar female voice said hello.


	31. Chapter 31

Happy News Beach Time Part 1

Aelita was about to get into the truck when a hand touched her shoulder and a familiar female voice said hello. She turned around to see who it was, scared but focused, and saw a dark haired girl slightly taller then her. Aelita slid her sun glasses off and her eyes widened with surprise.

"Well are you going to say hello to your old friend or not?" Yumi joked as her best friend stood in awe.

"Yumi!" Aelita jumped on her with a tight hug, overjoyed but now perplexed, "Wait what are you doing here?" Aelita asked as her heart calmed down.

"Hey Aelita, we gotta go before the traffic picks up……" Nathan called to her opening his door too see Yumi and Aelita talking.

"Ohhh hey what's up Yumi, hey you here to visit?" he got out and shook her hand, "Hey guys Yumi's back!" he shouted to the others in the truck all seated and ready to go.

"Hey Yumi!" they all yelled staying in the truck. Not that they were rude but they were ready to take off after all this mornings preparations. So Yumi just waved to them from the open back seat door.

"Man it's hot here, are we near the equator?" Yumi wiped some sweat from her face, she still wore black clothing to this day.

"So Yumi what are you doing here anyways?" Aelita asked again smiling as she always does.

"Well, my parents family back in Japan wanted me to get the same education as you were. After they heard of your time back in the prepatory school, I really couldn't do anything and they pulled some strings to get me here as respected my family is. I miss the boys already…" Yumi drifted off into sadness.

"How are they, it's been like three years since we last saw you all." Nathan asked leaning against the truck as he closed the doors to save the trucks cool air.

"They're doing quite well, Ulrich has actually picked up his grades and more of an athlete then ever. Odd is still that comical clown and he is showing a wonderful progression into classical music and band hall, out doing everyone else. Jeremie, grades are normal, he's really shown promise in computers so much I hear they all are getting scholarships to a special school. Jeremie also managed to pull some wires with that and so…." Yumi left them hanging on a cliff.

"So what! Where are they going!" Aelita couldn't stand the anticipation.

"The boys are going to this school too!" She shouted in glee, Aelita and her hugged at the fantastic news.

"Dude that's sweet! We can all be our whole gang again." Nathan happily said.

"Oh wow, I'll be able to see Jeremie and the boys again. Life can't get any better for us." Aelita sighed recollecting some old memories.

"I don't mean to be a bother but we got to head out sometime before the high ways and parking are crammed!" Guerrmo opened his door and poked his body up over the roof of the truck, tapping his watch.

"I'll let you guys go then, I guess I'll see my schedule and papers I should sign." Yumi waved to them and started to head to the school.

"Wait Yumi, why don't you join us, we can make room and we got enough supplies anyways." Nathan came up to her and put his arm on her shoulder to stop her.

"Well where are you all going?" she said looking to the two.

"The beach come on, it'll be fun." Aelita enticed her.

"But I don't have a bathing suit." Her hopes went down.

"Hey, Terra packed some extra swim suits incase something should happen." Nathan told her directing her to the truck.

"I don't know…" she thought about it as both her friends pushed her to the back seat door, "Well I guess" she finally said and opened the door.

"Hey Yumi, you coming as well?" Kila asked as the three looked at her.

"Ya" she answered and closed her door smiling at them, buckling her seat belt as Nathan and Aelita got in the front seat. Yumi looked at the front seats and she only saw two, so how would they fit?

"Here, I'll sit on the seat and you can sit on my lap." The black haired boy told Aelita and they shared the passenger front seat.

"Are you sure it's safe to sit like that?" Yumi questioned them with a raised eyebrow.

"Ahh it's no problem, the beach is only a little more then a twenty minute drive and plus my family shares like this." Nathan replied as they clipped the belt closed.

"Okay everyone have everything? Cloths, towels, sun block, etc.?" Guerrmo turned in his seat asking all.

Terra and Aelita did a mental checklist and nodded to the driver.

"Lets go already!" Kila complained.

So they did, the truck pulled out of the high schools student parking lot and they headed off to the beach. Yumi though felt different from everyone, since she was still in her casual day outfit and everyone else was ready for the beach: Guerrmo wore a tight body shirt that showed his now grown muscles, Nathan she remembered has on shorts with cammo designs and a long salt water fishing logoed T-shirt with an over shirt themed tropics, Aelita had on her two piece suit but covered by a floral mini skirt about almost to her knees, Terra had on the same but a long skirt with a mixed colored design, Kila wore a one piece with a matching purple mini skirt as well.

They all had grown to the point they were joining the fashions of teenage culture. Yumi only began to wonder what choices they had for her to wear, she like the attires the gang wore but what was the "Extra Swim Suits".

Guerrmo opened the window and turned one the radio to a Spanish station. The hot outside air was now a warm coolish breeze sweeping into the truck, it felt quite nice on everyone's skin. Though Yumi had never heard of the Genre before, but it had a nice beat.

"Hey what kind of music is this?" she asked.

"It's Reggieton, Salsa, Cuban, Tejano, and Latin or you could just call it Latin music." Nathan answered her.

"Oh, I must say it does feel like summer music." She said as Kila and Terra started moving to the music even though Yumi herself didn't understand the words.

They finally made it over the highway and bridge, now going into a lone road with other cars. Yumi looked around outside as the smell of the salty sea greeted her nose. Sand started showing up around the road side and a large dune wall, covered with some vegetation, kept her eyes from seeing the beach. A few bumps and potholes, they were there at the beach where cars parked on the sandy shore and people were setting up their sites and barbeque pits. Yumi could feel her heart act giddy with a child-like behavior. People were swimming, riding bikes, fishing, throwing around footballs and Frisbees, and socializing in the sun or under tarps. France had nothing on this, the sand was close to white sands and the water was a green blue hue.

Guerrmo parked the truck close to the shore and everyone opened their doors to get out, though he kept the truck on neutral with the radio on loud. Aelita got out and Nathan last, he handed her her medium sized straw sun hat and she a kiss on his cheek for the kindness. The boys opened the bed ramp and began unloading a barbeque pit with a propane tank, the cooler, a tackle box, fishing poles, half of a tent to give shade from the sun, and moved the bags to the bed opening for easy access for the girls.

They went ahead and took out Yumi's choices and placed them in a neat order on the bed floor. While Kila went for the sun block and fold up chairs, Aelita helped, and Terra went inside the truck to take off her necklace and rings.

"I like this one of all of them. But do you think it's too attractive?" Yumi sort of turned strawberry looking at the two piece and imagining it on her.

"Huh?" Terra came out of the truck, "No in fact I think it'll look cute on you."

"Well okay then." Yumi still seemed unsure.

"If you still insist, here let me show you something." The blonde haired girl rummaged through the bag and pulled out a long skirt much like hers with cherry flowers on it and a top covering matching it all.

"Now this is something I will like, so where do I change?" Yumi looked happy and content with the new clothing.

"Hey Guerrmo can you come with me and Yumi, we're going to the pier to change." Terra shouted to him, Guerrmo was already setting up his pole at the shores edge.

"Why does he need to come with?" Yumi seemed curious.

"Well nothing's safe so we should have some muscles with us incase something should go bad." Terra smiled just as the boy came by them.

"Are you talking about these muscles?" he joked with them as he pretended to be a muscle man.

"Alright mister 'Man of the World', lets go." She tugged at his drawers and got him to behave.

Aelita and Kila stayed behind with Nathan, who began to wade into the water and cast out his line. The girls were putting on their sun block, while Kila fixed up the barbeque pit.

"I thought you brought sandwiches, what's with all this?" Aelita wanted to know.

"Remember when I told you that I'd have to make dishes, once a month, for my cooking tournament practice? Well, I packed ingredience for a seafood meal. The boys will catch the fish and I'll prepare them fresh from the sea." She said happy and dreaming of the delicious meal.

"So that explains the heaviness of the cooler." Aelita put her hands on her hips shaking her head chuckling.


	32. Chapter 32

Happy New Beach Time Part 2

"So is this all you need help with? I'm gonna go one and join Nathan to see if he needs anything." Aelita placed the last of the plastic sealed vegetables on the small table.

"No I'm good, shout when he's caught something." Kila said looking through a thick cook book for recipes.

Aelita left her and went to the sandy water's edge. She let the first wave of water wash over her and she jumped at the chilly touch. Stepping back, she went back to the truck bed and took off her mini skirt and let her feet warm up in the sun baked sand.

"There that should be enough." Aelita said to herself and went back to the water.

She tried it again and this time the water was warmer but slowly gaining it's icy feel. So she shuffled her feet to where Nathan was, wading up to his stomach. Aelita pondered on how he could bear the cold but as she reached knee deep water. The cold went away and the water got nice with a few pieces of Sargasso seaweed scraping against her legs.

The pink haired girl reached the fisherman and a hand around his hip.

"How goes the fish mister world's best bassman?" she laughed, the waves came at them mildly.

"Oh not much, I keep loosing them though. I think it's either pin perch or a smart whiting." He told her just as his pole jerked several times.

"Oh looks like you got one!" she watched him pull back at each jerk.

Then all of the sudden, the reel wizzed out line. Nathan grabbed holed of the pole as whatever was on the other end began pulling him out little by little.

"Crap! I got something big help me pull this sucker in!" he shouted out in excitement.

She pulled her sun hat down and held him by the waist as both started to back into the shallows. But the sand wasn't helping either, every movement the ground ate away at their feet. However, it did offer some anchorage to keep the two from going out with the catch.

"Call Kila!" Nathan said struggling with the fish, the line is nearing the end even with the drag line on.

"Kila! KILA!" Aelita yelled as she gained more ground.

"Man it's a good thing I bought the heavy duty pole before this!" Nathan joked.

Their friend on the beach heard them and threw down what she was doing. Running off the beach and taking through the water, Kila finally reached them and helped bring them to the knee deep water.

"Wow what the heck did you use Nathan, a slab of steak?" Kila told them as they let go.

The line finally stopped but the hard part was hauling the thing in, they were going to be there quite awhile.

The Pier

Terra, Yumi, and Guerrmo made it to the pier entrance up the long concrete ramp. Unfortunately they were not wearing any sandals or footwear so the concrete burned them on the way. They entered and looked around the food court and shopping center.

"So where do I change?" Yumi didn't see any changing stands from her view.

"….oh there it is." Terra jumped up and down like a giddy kid, "They're hidden by the umbrellas."

"Okay thanks, wait for me." Yumi smiled to them as she left to get into her swim suit.

The inside of the pier building wasn't half bad, though one could smell the strong aroma of bait. The food court was small but good enough to serve hamburgers to chilly dogs. The shopping center stood nothing more then just a few clothing hangers, like those in a mall, with a variety of beach accessories. A couple of wall stands held fishing gear and hooks while the other had family beach gear. Packaged inflatable beach balls, buckets and pales, plastic shovels, sun block, sunglasses, and sandals hung there.

As Guerrmo and Terra began enjoying the large fish tank with common inshore fish swimming around, Yumi came out holding her old cloths in hand. She and that outfit matched each other perfectly, walking to her friends Yumi got a few wolf whistles. Making her blush several shades of pink to red.

"Ummm….can we leave now?" she stuttered with embarrassment.

Guerrmo chuckled a little as they walked out, staying behind the girls so no smart guy would try something funny.

"You look rather stunning Yumi, should be proud that your attracting the eyes of other guys." Terra attempted to soften her friend up.

"I know, but I already have someone in my life." Yumi signed happily.

"Oww!" Terra yelped when her feet felt the burn of the sun heated rock.

"Hey why don't you guys let me carry you, after all you did say I was mister man of the world." Guerrmo suggested looking suave.

"What do you say Yumi?" the blonde girl asked Yumi, "He can carry a lot of things at once."

"Sure I guess it's okay." She responded and they boarded the Guerrmo Express.

He knelt down and they sat on his arms he held up like he was lifting bars.

"Wow, he is strong!" Yumi told them surprised.

"Well I'm in football so we do exercise a lot." Guerrmo said as they went down the hot path big enough for two truck to go on side by side.

"Hey aren't your feet burning as well." Yumi realized he was bare foot.

"Na, he's good right honey?" Terra stroked his spiky black hair.

"Ya I'm….hey look over there." The boy jerked his head to the left side of the walkway.

They looked still moving and saw their friends struggling with Nathan, seemed like his pole was ready to snap in half. As the three reached the sandy ground again, Guerrmo let the girls down and they proceeded to their friends. Kicking up sand as they ran.

"Hey dude need help with that!" Nathan heard his best friend call out.

"Ya give me a hand." Both boys took hold of the pole and struggled with the heavy catch finally coming in from tiring out.

"You think this is a tarpon?"

"No, maybe a shark!"

Thirty minutes later, they finally got the monster on shore, it was a shark indeed. A sand shark, that both of them hauled onto the beach as it thrashed around.

"Are you sure it's safe to do that!" Aelita shouted to them from the truck with the other girls, that shark was too big for them to get close to.

The boys brought it a few yards away from the shore edge and flipped the sand shark on it's back, holding up one hand to their face or keeping their eyes shut closed from the sand kicked around by the murky brown tail. It suddenly fell silent, Nathan came back with his friend and quickly helped him degut the shark and kill it. A small crowd grew around the scene, both of the boys began to cut it up into large steaks with large knifes. Aelita looked away and went inside the truck before the process began, she was squeamish after all.

The fishing authorities came by to investigate the assembly.

"Woohhooo boys, you caught yourself a whopper of a shark!" the first official told them.

"You both have the silence right?" the second on said gingerly.

"Thanks sir." Guerrmo responded to the first official.

"Ya we do, let me go get it." Nathan put his knife on the table and went to the truck, opening the truck he found Aelita there keeping her stomach from rebelling.

"Hey…wooow you okay?" he asked her worried with his hands covered in a mix of sand, salt, and shark guts.

"Ya I just…need to stay in here for a little bit…I…" she stopped upon seeing his arms and covered her mouth opening her door.

Aelita emptied the contents of her stomach and held back a few strands of her pink hair. The boy went and washed his hands with the water container and went back with clean hands. He helped the girl recover and sit upright.

"You should of told me you were squeamish, I would of washed my hands on the spot?" he laughed slightly.

"I didn't know, sorry about that though." She apologized and used a Kleenex tissue to clean her mouth.

"No worries, are you going to be okay?"

"Yes, I only need a couple of minutes."

"Cool, well let me get back here…a minute." Nathan pushed the back seat forward and pulled out his and Guerrmo's wallets and left.

"Hey back so soon, well your friend here found an old expensive ring an old lady has been looking for inside this sharks stomach. Oh your licenses yes, lets see here." The second official looked at their papers.

"Dang dude, well I bet with a nice cleaning that lady will have her old ring back as good as new." Guerrmo smiled at the ring as he handed it to the first official.

All was clear, the ring was taken by the officials as they left, and they finished with the nice sized shark before Aelita came back out, still woozy.

"Are you okay Aelita?" Yumi asked as soon as she saw the nauseated expression on her sisters face.

"Yes I'm fine, I felt quezzy a moment ago but I'm fine." As soon as Aelita said that, Yumi felt troubled.

"She never told us that shark blood would make her vomit." Nathan sighed.

Yumi washed over with relief finding the cause of what looked like morning sickness. But it was just a case of mild squeamish reactions in a person who didn't like blood.

All that was left of the shark was it's head and they boys put it in an extra bucket for a trophy. Kila looked like she died and went to heaven, with all the steaks at her disposal and with all the ingredience she brought with them. Her goal would be more then met, so she zipped back to her seat and searched with anxious eyes for a dish made of shark.

"Well I'm wasted, hey man could you take my place in the fishing department while I rest?" Nathan asked taking a soda from the ice chest, brimming with baggie cased shark meat.

"Hell ya, I don't want you having all the fun!" the buff boy walked to the poles and bait bucket.

"You should rest for a moment." Terra advised Nathan taking a seat on the truck bed.

He fell onto the beach towel and seemed to look like he drifted into sleep. Aelita and Yumi decided to go sit in the shallows to entertain themselves and catch up on what has happened since three years ago. They walked away laughing as they talked of something in particular. Terra got out the boom box she packed and turned it to the weather station for the beach report, the trucks latin music continued on. Kila and Nathan brought up a conversation on seasonings for the shark steaks which would ease its wild flavor.

In just two hours the gang has already done a lot, what's next?


	33. Chapter 33

Lunch Time

The gang enjoys the remaining morning lounging in the sun or messing around one the beach. It was towards the midday when the boys took out the football and began playing around. At first it was just the two throwing it around and sparing one on one.

Guerrmo threw a long pass, though a little to long and high for a normal catch. So Nathan goes and jumps up for the ball, he catches it but jumps to high. He lands wrong and face plants the sand, most everyone laughed seeing the teen try and spit out the granules. Nathan got his revenge when he did a bomb pass way off to the right, Guerrmo ran for it but rammed into one of the beach trash cans head on. All one could hear was the drum echo of his body impacting the hard plastic can only filled to a quarter.

Later on the boys managed to get all four girls to join the game. Teams were Kila, Nathan, and Yumi against Guerrmo, Terra, and Aelita playing tackle football.

The game goes on as planned; the boys took off their shirts from the sun's heat before the game. Terra and Aelita blushed tomato red when they showed off their teen physique.

Each team took places at their goal lines, made of driftwood, and Nathan's team kicked off. Well threw off, the ball whizzed in the air and landed into Guerrmo's arms. They ran forward into the other team, Aelita took Kila, Terra got Yumi, and the boys went at it. Bam, Nathan managed to get at the ball wielders legs and flipped him on his back from the air. Second down, the ball went to Aelita who, with the help of Yumi, made a touch down.

Later on in the game with the score 4-5, lunch was nearing and their stomachs were growling. Guerrmo kicked off, the ball landed into Nathan's hands and his team rushed in a blitz. But with a good tackle by Guerrmo and Terra, the ball became a fumble and rolled to the direction it was heading. Aelita ran to her team's post, where the ball landed, picked it up and started to run to the goal line. Unfortunately, her opposing team was regrouped at the half line and ready for her. Guerrmo and Terra were at her front flanks, they took the first defenders leaving Nathan to deal with her. He was ready, arms stretched out and poised to embrace her in a trap, and strafed left. He caught her in a lucky tackle picking her up in the air and falling backwards to the bumpy beach.

Kila and Yumi cheered on as the chance for an overtime was cancelled, their team one!

But Aelita and Nathan stayed where they were making out. Kila came to check up on the two worried they might be hurt, but when she found the real reason.

"Oh man you guys had me worried! Come on lets go eat." Kila ruffled the boy's hair as he grinned at her needless worried, Aelita just giggled and was helped up by Kila. The two acted like nothing had happened, so Yumi never caught on.

Lunch

"Okay, we have some shark steaks that all we need to do is put on the grill for at least a few minutes and we can eat." Kila said turning on the fire.

"Alright cool, well who wants something to drink!" Guerrmo asked around getting three takers as he went to the cooler.

The girls sat down on the chairs and mingled, the boys joined in. When Kila slapped on the freshly marinated Shark steaks on the grill, they immediately smoked and sent a mouth watering scent of onions, shark, seasonings, and herbs to the gang.

"Man you know I got you bad that first round." Nathan jostled.

"All I saw was him flipping in the air and landing smack hard into the ground." Yumi smirked.

Terra sighed happily; the smell of the delicious grilling seafood and beach entice her nose. So she got up and decided to aid her close friend with the cooking. Preparing the plates and the few side dishes packed under the ice in the cooler. She could hear some sea gulls caw around the nearby shore after smelling the barbeque smoke ran along the water. Moments later the food finishes and is ready for tasting.

"Okay if everyone will come over and get your food one by one?" Kila told everybody as she waves her spatula to them.

"Wow, this smells amazing!" Yumi said as the pure aroma hits her.

"Ya, Kila knows how to cook." Nathan told her smiling since his favorite food is any seafood.

"Load me up!" Guerrmo said eyeing the many shark steaks sizzling.

The gang served and also took some potato chips, potato salad, and seasoned corn. The drinks included coke, Dr. Pepper, and sprite in plastic blue cups. Aelita went to the truck and switched the station from its old Latin to an alternative rock station before sitting down. Kila wore a satisfied look and a huge smile as she saw the happy faces of her friends taking the second bite and wolfing it down. Her meal must be that good if they all showed such appreciation.

"So I believe I did good?" Kila asked just as she started eating her steak.

"Ohhh you have no idea!" Nathan said through food like Odd.

"You outdid yourself again girl." Terra congratulated her.

"I've never had shark like this, but I love it!" Yumi said eating another bite.

"What they all said." Guerrmo grinned.

"I'm speechless, how did you ever get so good!" Aelita asked her friend.

"Well you know how I'm a food fanatic, around the age of seven I wanted to learn how to make the perfect meals. I can be very picky now a days so that has also encouraged my skills. Though I have a ways to go still." Kila then busied herself in her dish feeling discouraged of her novice state in skills.

The mood lightened for everyone with the sound of rock bands playing and the beats of the waves hitting near shoreline. Almost everyone had seconds, though Kila offered a few taste testers to other beach goers who smelled the festivities.

Some hour later, they cleaned up and had time left for some more water fun. They all went into the water and rode the waves, enjoying the green water and sun on their bodies, and they talked of their new school life coming soon. The fun killed a lot of time, to the point the sun started to hit the dune caps. So reluctantly they left the sea and dried off in the towels they brought, the boys took out a surprise while the sun still shined in its last minutes.

"You guys had firewood in there!" Terra and Kila said stunned.

"Ya so we can stay longer or…maybe for the night and make a camp fire to warm us." Guerrmo asked them winking to Terra.

The girls jumped in excitement as the wood was placed to the truck beds edge. Aelita and Yumi helped make a pit in the sand for the boys to place the wood in to a dept of half an arms length hole. The wood was thrown in and lit with a couple of matches. The first flames licked the air high, its radiant heat graced the gang sitting on chairs or on the towels. Aelita and Nathan took the ground towels and the others sat in the fold up chairs. Now the night slowly overtook the sky in a shadow of blue.

"Man today was awesome right? Right?" Yumi said out of character like she went back to her Kadic years self.

"Oh my bodies still aching from playing that swim race against the current." Guerrmo groaned and gained sympathy from his girl.

"You poor boy." Terra said like a mother and rubbed his back.

"Hey how about some ghost story!" Nathan said as the idea hit him.

The others indeed agreed to the notion and he was first to start. His was the "Lonely Spirit", a story he had made for a class last year. A little girl rose in a harsh farm family, part of a military experiment, and ended up killing them. Though she tried to make friends she always end up switching to her dark side and murdering them. After she woke up from a blank sleep, she was always covered in blood but no bodies. In the end a small boy attempted to befriend her and almost succeeded but he too succumbed to her dark nature.

After telling that story, the others got great ideas and told them in a great horrific way. Leaving everyone scared and tired, so they took out the last towels and went inside the truck for sleep, the boys would sleep in the trucks bed while the four girls had the luxury of the inside safty with the alarm on. The trucks radio long shut off when the sun went down, came alive again to help the girls sleep.

However, someone else would have a nightmare very soon.


	34. Chapter 34

The Nightmare War

Nathan awoke, but he was no longer at the beach. He was at his home with his family, they all sat in the living room doing nothing. Looking around he saw one person no longer there but who should be there. He got up but as he did a hatchet or axe went through the door making everyone jump. The tool repeatedly hit the door till there was a wide enough hole for someone's face to come through. Exactly what happened, a small tubby little man with a beak nose poked his head through the hole.

His face formed a demented grin like he enjoyed in the torment of this family. Suddenly, he disappeared from the hole and the front door. Nathan went to the door to see if he was gone but he busted through the wall with his axe again. Causing everyone to get out and runaway from the house. Nathan ran into the garage and soon the garaged became a portal but without the watery effects. He slipped into another world.

It was his new school, he was inside a hall at his locker pulling out some camera equipment. Guerrmo came up to him and started to talk to him but no volume. Not too long after Nathan got out his camera did Aelita run up to them and frantically tell them to go outside the nearest doors, still muted. The boys ran out and immediately saw a large race car zipping in the street parallel to the school.

The blazing red and yellow race car crashed into a parked sedan and bursted into flames. The two ran to the crash and also saw tons of other reporters running to the scene first and flashing their cameras. When Nathan got to the cars window he aimed his camera and zoomed. He saw the flames eat away at the dying driver, who smiled as his flesh started to flak off in burnt pieces. Like the man was proud of the way he was gradually dying.

A white light engulfed the scene and soon Nathan found himself on a tropical Island, but this time it was different. He was with a team of soldiers or military personnel. He looked at his outfit and he too matched them, like a member of their squad. They ended up going in a Delta Force FAV to a small facility covered by the tropical vegetation. He and the squad disembarked and went inside carefully, but as they did Nathan looked around at the unbelievable sight. The place looked like paradise with all the colors of flowers and the green landscape. Sun and all could be felt like he was really there, even the sea he could smell.

The squad entered the building through several bulkhead doors and came to a room were the only way in it was a glass encased hallway that left the rest of the room bare. They walked in the hall and past a few machines which looked like for monitoring. They came across a room and went in, they saw a little girl in a long dress looking down. Nathan was about to say something when his fellows outside the room's door opened fire at something. When Nathan looked back the girl was gone but a dark hole appeared in the top corner of the room, hideously deformed monsters started crawling out of it like a spider on a wall.

His squad evacuated the area still firing at the wave of flesh and blood, getting out side the only encountered the same thing. Boarding the rover monsters engulfed them in a flood of teeth, claws, and fleshy muscles like the PC game DOOM.

Nathan awoke again and he was with what looked like the same squad inside the facility but farther this time. His eyes looked around; he was in a hazmat suit and in what looked like an underground bunker or concrete basement. A few soldiers mixed with ordinary civilians but scared shitless.

Nathan walked deeper into the hall and soon large window appeared that showed inside storage rooms. He took the first door on the left and opened the metal door. As he looked in, he saw that same girl facing him in the storage room. She laughed playfully as any child would do, then a few of the soldiers went in like they never saw the girl. But she ran away before they came close to her and disappeared. Out of no where, puppies popped out and attacked Nathan and the others with small mouths of razor teeth. Nathan could feel the teeth sink in but the suit seemed to absorb much of the bones sharp point. He and the others managed to kick them off and throw them back in, yet something compelled him to move on inside the room. He wanted to know what happened to the little girl who vaguely looked like his sister. So in a flash he went into the room all the way and shut the metal door closed and locked it.

Nathan walked through the storage room but no dogs reappeared and attacked him. So he wondered the labyrinth and came across a larger room. There he saw the little girl again at the far end of the hanger sized room. She stood facing him and then she screamed, Nathan watched helplessly as a dark translucent figure came right behind her and held her mouth shut with a knife to her throat. Nathan wanted to help, filled with anger and fury, he started to run at them. However, another surprise came up as dead people started to come at him from behind the crates and out of the solid walls. His suit protected him from the hands but the massive amounts of bodies kept him static. He watched the girl and the figure begin to disappear through a dark black and swirling blue portal that opened right behind them. No words could escape his throat as he cried out to the girl, the zombies holding him down.

The girl surprisingly managed to get out of the figures grasp and run the him. His little sister made it to the zombie pile and they parted away from her path as if she scared them. Freeing him in the process, Nathan hugged her tightly as did she. Then in a blink of an eye a translucent arm grabbed his sister by the waist and pulled her back to the portal. She kicked and screamed but was soon engulfed by the portal. The walls of the hanger came alive as black smooth monsters materialized with various colored gem eyes. Their arms sprawled around like a freshly born baby and took root in the floor for support. Nathan watched helplessly as his sister disappeared and the zombies once again held him put. The black dark beings came at him with gapping red mouths and tongues ready to devour him.


	35. Chapter 35

The Help of Love

Nathan shot up from deep sleep and sat up in the trucks bed. Once his eyes focused in the darkness of the night he looked around and remembered they were at the beach. He rubbed his eyes of the last bits of sleep and felt some sweat dropping down his chest. His heart began slowing down from it race car beating which eased his nerves. In a minute he got up off of his makeshift bed in the trucks bed and got out without waking his friend. His feet landed softly on the sand and made a little noise as the truck waddled.

Aelita, who was sleeping nicely, awoke when the truck swayed slightly. She stretched out on the front right seat and removed her towel that acted as her blanket.

Nathan looked around and then to the shoreline. The smell and the sound of the little waves hitting the beach embraced him like a mother's hug would feel like. Yet, instead of helping him from his nightmare of reality he started crying. He held in or repressed a lot of old memories and problems from his past and now they were leaking out. He knew his friends would hear him sob and scream so he looked around for the best place to hid to do so. The beach water wasn't a safe haven for him at night, the beach was…well the beach too open, and then the dunes came into view. Yes perfect, so Nathan ran to them in the night and through the vehicle road to the vegetation covered dunes.

Aelita was ready to fall asleep when in the corner of her eye she saw one of the boys running to the dunes the truck faced. She questioned herself as to why would one of them be escaping to the sand hills? It all didn't feel right so she got out of the truck as covertly as possible and closed it. Then she darted off into the direction of the boy.

Dunes

His feet were bare and so he could feel every twig and leaf he stepped on. Clumps of sand collected on his feet navigating around the barren trails to the highest dune. The feeling was like walking in a dead forest to anyone.

Inside him he was building up everything the nightmare uncovered, to release later on. Hopefully with the mild wind at the peak would help cancel out his voice, that was his only goal and then he'd go back to sleep. Those monsters still roared in his face, the very image he still remembered them with open ravenous mouths.

In a few minutes he finally reached the top of his organic hill and the caress of the coastal winds hugged him. He fell on his rear and let the sand fall under him a foot or less. Thinking of all that troubled his mind, at the peak of it all he screamed out what others would hear as a battle cry or the last one of a dying warrior charging into battle. Now with his throat irritated and soar he fell onto the sand in a fetal position sobbing as he punched the sand.

Aelita made it half way to the tallest dune when she heard Nathan scream out. Which made her trip and stubble to a fall of surprise. When she regained herself she made a straight line to the source hoping the teen wasn't hurt or in some sort of trouble. Instead of taking the around way she darted right up the dune and at the top her eyes saw the boy in agony.

"Nathan! Nathan are you alright!" she panicked sliding down to him.

"I could of made a difference, I could have saved her…." He cried out angrily.

"What….are you hurt talk to me!" she tried to sit him up and check for any wounds but soon found none.

"She's gone and suffering somewhere and I can't do anything about it!" he suddenly rose up and kicked at the dune top furiously.

She could sense his pain at something, his heart and soul afflicted by a guilt. His tears accumulated sand and it looked like he cried a desert. Nothing seemed to come to mind that would quell this anger and sorrow medically. So she waited for him to get it out of his system and then she interrogated him.

He sat down staring blankly at the open plains and new houses under construction about two miles away.

"Can you tell me what is ailing you?" she asked kindly.

"She was torn from my hands…"

"Who, who was taken from you?" she felt confidence coming to her method.

"My litter sister…disappeared in that black car and the cops never found her again…."

"Your sister? Can you tell me all of what happened." She came closer to him and now sat right by him.

Aelita caressed his face with her hand and she noticed it immediately brought him back into reality. He turned to her as if in shock with is eyes wide open.

"My sister my little sister. We were walking from school, it was a great day I remember. She had just gotten an approval to be transferred to the school for gifted children. Her and I were walking home to our old home back then, when a black car with silver chrome bumpers started tailing us. We ran after that, but all of the sudden I was struck in the face with something as we passed by some alley ways. When I awoke too, the last thing I saw was a group of men struggling to get my sister into their car. She was a fighter though…she did leave a few gashes on two of the men's faces. I believe she knew by then that her life was over so she wanted to leave me a trail if that ever comes my way. I tried to get up and do something to help her but one of the men had a stick with blunt tips around it and struck me on the left shoulder blade. They sped off before either I or anyone nearby could get help or be of help. That car so pitch black……."

"Did you ever find her?" Aelita listened intently.

"The police helped me recover since my shoulder blade was fractured all around and cracked from the force of the weapon. I told them everything and the nearby cameras of a market store just down the street caught the whole thing in action. Which for me was a lifetime…. After a year of investigation and no leads, they just about given up on. But an unknown source sent me key evidence that showed what happened to my little sister. Those men were dealers in a smuggling ring around the international world. Catching children and selling them to pedophiles as slaves for sick things. I'll never forget what the police told me later on when I grew up, what they'd possible do to her, my family was the first to hear though about everything. My mother told me my sister would probably die in several years from the horrors she'd meet. I was only six and she five and a half. My family fights against one another over the stupidest things but I guess that's just the pain and guilt of losing her. Leaving me to bear more weight of the incident. Those men were never caught…."

Aelita had no words with which to respond to, she and the others didn't really know the source of all the torment he and his family went through. But now she knew, which would explain his need to protect people. It must have been his way of trying to cover up what he failed to do for a family member.

"She was as close to me as a mother's bond, I guess I was like a father to her. The way she looked up to me and….and….I failed to protect her like a father would. I…I only hope to god that she didn't live more then a month in that hell she was taken into." Nathan said as he choked on tears and a lump in his throat.

The pink haired girl didn't know such horrible things could happen in pure daylight in a neighborhood. She felt herself cry from his pain like an onion being peeled. He curled up sitting, Aelita wanted so much to make him feel better with love which was so tragically torn from him.

She ended up kissing him into submission, replacing agony with love. The two made out for a few minutes on the sand just lost in their own world of passion. He mostly held her head and shoulders gently as they kissed, while she tightly hugged around his chest. In the heat of the moment, Nathan removed her mini skirt started groping her chest through the top piece of her swim suit. Which caused Aelita to break the kiss and let him tend to her neck as she moaned. His hands rode along from her breasts to her hips and back up again, sending shivers down her spin even in this humid summer night. Aelita let her hands roam his muscular back, modeled just right which appeased her hidden lust for him.

The boy, out of nowhere, pushed the love even more by having his hands go under her top piece. He fondled her and soon removed the clothing off of her person. She breathed in heavily and arched slightly as his tongue licked her breasts. The act went on for some time till he began to move his attention to her special place. Aelita removed his pants and boxers as he her last clothing.

"Aelita I…" Nathan tried to say something in the passion of it all.

"Yes, please I want you. I had no idea how much pain you were in and I want to heal you." She responded holding his face to look at her.

"This is your first?" he tried to not remember that torment.

"Yes." She told him.

"I'll go soft and slow." He said to her catching her lips in another deep kiss.

As soon as his lower garments were at his knees and hers as well. He gently went into her sex, the first effect was her biting down on her thumb and groaning out the uncomfortable feeling. He nudged her with his nose to signal he would go in farther, she responded by biting softly on his lower lip and laid back down waiting.

The black haired boy did so, his first thrust hit her virgin barrier and his second broke it. In the process she yelped at the pain but moaned louder in pleasure as the pain subsided into an enjoyable sensation. As he moved in and out of her, she moved her legs around his waist to secure a better position on the shifting sand and plants they laid upon. When she started to moisten, he breathed out it is his first time too. With his arms keeping him hunched over her, her arms around his neck, they two started going at it more vigorously and deeper then before. Aelita could feel something build up in her like a growing fire that was being fed by the love making. Nathan could feel something as well so he slowed down in order for his beauty to enjoy more of what he was experiencing. Which left his hands free to massage her bare breasts, doubling the sensation for her.

Her walls tightened and lubricated much more then earlier ago. She was almost up, the excitement, the thrill, and the passion brought her up to climax. She yelled out the unimaginable feeling which no words could express. Her voice drowned out by the wind and waves of the coast. Nathan got even more out of it and finished shortly after.

Some people would say that true love heals almost anything. For Nathan it did, his past once again buried.

He lay on top of her spent as did she laying on the ground exhausted. They spent five or more minutes just recovering some energy listening to nature sing her songs. The stars in the night sky were truly a magnificent ending.

The two parted and dressed, then as they were leaving a small fleet of seagulls were sitting around their exit path.

"I guess we had an audience huh?" Nathan joked as his normal self.

Aelita just giggled holding his hand as they walked back to the truck. They, age of fifteen and sixteen, recanted on the amazing action just moments again. Every single detail flashed in their minds, which overrode the pain that sparked it. Nathan thought of Aelita differently now, Aelita then same, they stepped over a line that there was no going back to. Things have been set into motion which might cause some unwanted complication in their school career.


	36. Chapter 36

Morning

The sun started to rise and cast a bronze hue just over the foggy horizon. The burning orange red spread out and rooted into the night blue. Only a light subtle reflection of the rising sun gave sight to the calm ocean water.

Guerrmo woke up first and then Terra second. She found him sitting at the shoreline watching the morning come to them, so she sits by him and snuggles.

"It's amazing how beautiful the simplest things are that we don't have time to admire." She said dreamily as she inhaled the salty air.

"Ya, we seek the world for pleasures and satiate our producers and drain our wallets. But in the end the real things to enjoy are right out there but for how long?" he finished with a question to himself, letting Terra hug his arm tighter.

"We shouldn't worry ourselves over such inevitable things. More so we should live through it and try to raise a generation who will see what we see and help what's going to be left of our world." Guerrmo blushed, he knew what she meant by that in its double meaning and all.

"Hey should we go to that Waterbuger by the bridge before heading back into town for some coffee and breakfast?" he asked her kissing her forehead.

"I think that's a splendid idea. Oh did you notice the two disappear last night?" she smirked.

"Yup, I'm a light sleeper so I saw him and Aelita leave to the dunes." He told her.

"I wonder what they did?" the blonde haired girl asked as she picked up a flack of dried kelp.

"We shouldn't meddle in another person's affairs, who knows what unwarranted surprises await them if we should continue investigating." He spoke the truth.

"Ya, I guess your right." Terra responded as they stared into the now half risen sun still covered by the fog.

Back in the truck….

Aelita woke up to see Terra gone but the other two girls still fast asleep. She stretched out and navigated through her blanket and outside. The cold sand felt good on her feet and woke her up even more, a few vehicles passed by on the main sandy beach road. Their lights still on and most of the drivers had something they were drinking.

Closing the door she began to walk to the bed of the truck hoping her guardian was awake. Unluckily though, he laid on his side and slept on his side snoring. Aelita leaned on the side of the truck closest to him and tickled his ear and nose. It worked and he awoke stretching like a sleepy housecat and he opened his eyes to the sky.

"Looks like it's still too early to wake up?" he smiled.

"Don't you want to join Guerrmo and Terra at the shore, you and me?" Aelita asked him playfully, messing with his hair as well.

"Sure why not." Nathan got up and jumped from the bed ramp onto the chilly soft sand.

He danced a little bit at the icy touch till his feet got use to the temperature. Making Aelita laugh in the process and getting the couple at the waters edge attention.

"Hey morning early birds." Guerrmo chuckled to the black haired boy and pink haired girl sitting to their right.

"Your just in time to see the sun rise." Terra welcomed their friends.

"Morning." Aelita and Nathan smiled to the two.

"We were wondering, do you think a little stop by Waterburger for some breakfast would be good before we leave to home?" Guerrmo asked.

"I don't see why not, I vote yes lets." Nathan passed his side.

"I could use some eggs and pancakes myself." Aelita rubbed her tummy.

"Well we will wait for Kila and Yumi to wake up before we pass the final decision then." Terra said leaning onto her boyfriends shoulder.

With that, they waited till the sun shone brightly over the fog bank in the distance. Yumi and Kila surprisingly woke up at the same time and both agreed for some fast food and coffee. They all packed up and cleaned the area of any mess. The truck looked sandy and messy from the salt build up being parked there all night but decent to say the least. So they all jumped into the truck and rode to the nearest restaurant that other beach goers like themselves would most likely be at.

Indeed, when they parked at the half busy fast food business, five cars lined up in the drive in and seven vans, trucks, and cars sat in the front parking spaces. They went in and saw a lot of people dressed up for summer fun but really tired and hungry, as were they.

"Well at least they got their food so there's no line." Nathan said with a grin.

"Why don't you girls order first?" Guerrmo curdiously bowed to them.

The girls thanked him and went up to the counter to order.

"Hi how may I help you?" the worker asked.

"Um, I'll have a number 3." Kila said.

"I'll take the breakfast special with bacon?" Yumi said.

"Can I go with a…..ummm….a small coffee with a cinnamon roll." Aelita told the worker.

"And a number 6 for me." Terra said.

"Okay will that be all?" the worker typed in the requests.

"No we are included as well, both me and him will take the deluxe and," Guerrmo turned to the girls, "You guys want some milk with your orders?".

The girls nodded to his question.

"Okay and six milks with a coffee as well." The tall athlete said.

The worker recited back the order and everything checked out okay. So they paid and took a number and took a large table by the window. It was not long before a worker came by with the food and left with the number thing.

The gang separated their foods and began to eat peacefully under the jazz playing on the intercoms. Which by the way, created a quite relaxing mood and small talk among all the patrons in the restaurant. Yumi looked around as she ate her biscuit with egg, cheese, and sausage patty. She saw a man drinking from a cup of steaming coffee and reading his newspaper, a small family with three kids ate away as the mother cleaned her youngest son's mouth of the pancake syrup, other tables had teens and college type people talking while others laughed at in group jokes. Yumi liked this new place, like Kadic almost but that was a long whiles ago.

Though she when she looked back to her friends, she did notice her sister and Nathan sitting pretty close to each other. But when Yumi gave it further thought, it really didn't surprise her any more. As long as the two may have spent together in her and the others absence who really knows what kind of bond they formed. It wasn't up to her or the others who Aelita would feel affections for, she had to respect that. But when Jeremie gets here things might get a little dicey. Just then Yumi was broken from her train of thought.

"These cinnamon rolls are so delicious…" Aelita popped the last small piece into her mouth and chewed it with coffee, "Can I get another one?"

"Sure, use my five get as much as you want cause all you ordered was that and a medium coffee." Nathan gave her the money from his wallet and she thanked him.

The green eyed girl came back with three more of the delectable sweets with another coffee to boot.

"Wow someone's going to be hyper later on." Kila laughed.

"I don't know if I will finish them all so I'll save the leftovers." Aelita blushed at her embarrassing hunger.

Everyone finished their food and they soon left the place and back to their boarding school. The boys hauled the cooler to the kitchen for Kila to clean and store the way extra shark steaks. Terra, Aelita, and Yumi helped take in the bags of cloths and accessories while the boys took the heavy stuff back to the student recreations center and sign it back in. After which they all went for some refreshing cleaning showers.


	37. Chapter 37

Tired

The gang got back to the school, worn out from all the fun at the beach and stuffed with a big breakfast. Yumi liked the way the school had private showers, like her home. So with the school a little dead with most of the boarders on vacation or doing something for the day, everyone got to have some time under the hot showers. Rejuvinating their skin and relaxing their salt dried muscles, each left to their rooms for a well deserved nap.

Yumi's Room

Yumi went to her room which astounded her, being roomateless she had complete access to the computer desk or study desk, the radio boom box, dressers and closet, and bed choice. The floor was a very short carpet that was warm to her bare feet from the sun light coming through the window. A nice yellow lazy atmosphere that helped the Japanese girl settle on the bed of her choosing.

Falling onto the soft sheets, "Hmmm, I hope Ulrich gets here soon. He'd love these beds and such…perfect pillows…" she dozed off to sleep.

Girls' Dorm

"Oh man! Its good to be in my own room!" Kila sighed out tired and exhausted as she fell onto her bed.

Terra and Aelita giggled seeing their purple haired friend sprawled out on her lower bunk already falling asleep. The two girls dried their hair and sat on the desk chairs, Aelita wanted to tell the blonde girl something important that bothered her like a annoying fungus gnat going into ones nose.

"Something's on your mind, I can see it." Terra said as she looked out the window.

The sky was clear and sunny with no cloud in sight. A few sea gulls sat on the edge of the next buildings roof waiting for something.

"What makes you say that?" Aelita asked trying to evade the question.

"How long have we been roommates?" Terra took up a brush from the desk and began to comb her hair.

"Three years and a half." Aelita responded nevously.

"Then you should know by now that I can tell when your not acting normal." Terra had a motherly aura around her.

Aelita didn't respond and just sighed from a guilt within her heart.

"You can tell me anything you know that." Terra put down her brush and looked straight into her roommates eyes worried.

"Me and Nathan…we…we uh…had sex in the dunes last night." Aelita told her fearing the motherly behavior would start yelling at her in disgust but to her fortune something else happened.

"Oh I'm so happy for you two I was worried something more serious happened!" Terra looked extremely happy.

"You made me feel like it was wrong at first." Aelita giggled in relief.

"Well what spurred the moment?" Terra asked.

"I found out why he is so emotional at times. He lost his only little sister to slave traders and to this day he and his family quarrel over letting her go into that hell. I found him having a mental breakdown, he woke me up getting off the truck that night, and I found out the story of his sorrow. After I managed to hear all of the excoriating details, something came over me. I kissed him over and over till we ended up having sex." Aelita blushed pink feeling embaressed having done all that.

"You're a kind woman, your heart is big and compassionate. You should be proud of that, I think you helped that poor boy. But did you use protection?" Terra switched back to a questioning nature.

Then it hit her, it all happened so fast that they had no time to think of safty, "No"

"Oh dear…we'll go to the store tomorrow and pick up a test kit for you. Hopefully you weren't ovulating." Terra got up and got her phone out of her purse, "I'll get Guerrmo to take us."

"No don't, what if he tells Nathan!" Aelita shot up from her seat and rushed to her to stop the call.

"Don't worry Aelita, Guerrmo is my boyfriend he'd never tell anything that I didn't want him to say outloud. He won't tell Nathan I promise." Terra reassured her friend.

So Aelita let the call go and laid on her bed on her stomach, she thought of the reprocussions of her love with that boy. There was also the what if baby to consider and Jeremie for that matter. When Terra finished the call and hung up, the blonde girl came by her worried friend and did her best to comfort her.

The Boys Room

"Dude my legs are killing me." Nathan whined jokingly falling on the floor like he just got shot.

"Hey be careful you don't know if there's tacks sticking out of the floor?" Guerrmo told his friend as he started to go to sleep.

"I think I'll just go to sleep right here." Nathan began to snore minutes later.

Guerrmo though just laid in his bed and looked to the ceiling bored and exhausted at the same time. Sleep wasn't going to come to him easily, so he moved around for a comfortable spot. He'd almost found sleep when his cell phone vibrated on the head piece of his bed, he picked it up and answered.

"Hello?" Guerrmo said groggily.

"Its me, did I catch you at a bad time?" Terra said in her alluring voice which always got his attention.

"You know no matter what, I'm always here for ya. So what do you need?" Guerrmo got up and sat listening.

"Are you alone cause I need to talk to you in private." So Guerrmo walked out of the room and into the hall, "I need you to take me and Aelita to the Pharmaceutical.

"Sure why?" he started to wonder.

"Don't tell anyone okay, Aelita needs a pregnancy test." When she told him his eyes lit up in shock.

"So that's what they did last night!" he said gasped.

"Well there was a rational sense and a good one that led to the intimacy so don't be mad or angry. There is a chance that she wasn't fertile at the moment so we will get that test tomorrow for her." She told him straight.

"Okay sure, we'll leave around ten after breakfast. Tell anyone we're going to the store for something, I'll talk to you later love you." Guerrmo told her running his hand through his hair stunned.

"Love you too bye." And they hung up.

The good thing for the rest of the day was everyone lost most of their energy and slept in all day and night. Guerrmo didn't have to face Nathan with a false face or risk exposing the problem at hand, or catastrophe.

Next Day

Everyone got up temporarily drowsy from the over sleep they took. At breakfast they sat in the cafeteria where ten other students sat eating or socializing. Guerrmo, Terra, and Aelita sat at the far end of the table trying to be less talkative and hurried up with their meals. They evaded most of the funny talk and possible suspicion from friends, making it out of the school easily.

"That was too close." Aelita sighed worried as her and the others walked fast to the truck.

"We need to be careful till you take that test." Terra warned her.

"Let's just get that test first and worry about the others afterwards." Guerrmo told the girls sternly turning off the alarm to his truck and unlocking it.

They left the school and went through several streets till they got to the one place they needed to be. Parking between a van and a small Lincoln town car, they walked into the store with adrenaline pumping. In just a few short minutes, Aelita had four test kits in her arms and they quickly bought them. Then they left back to the school, but with a plan.

"Aelita, Guerrmo will drop us off at the front side of the school. You and me will enter there to avoid the others and go to the second level bathrooms to do the tests, so Yumi or Kila won't see us. Guerrmo will park his truck and if need be act as a distraction for us till I call him when we're finished!" Terra told her as they neared the high school.

This all made Aelita antsier like she was in an undercover sting. Guerrmo stopped at the designated point and she left inside the building with her blonde friend. Guerrmo's black Avalanche left the scene quietly before they went inside. Where they did as planned and climbed the stairs, finding the restroom unlocked and ready for secretive use.

Guerrmo had to actually act as a distraction, for forty five minutes he had to wait for his phone to quake alive in his pocket. He nearly ran out of his false story that someone had come close to running into him.

"Aelita how did the test show?" Terra asked biting down on her thumb.

"I used all four tests and here's the results…" Aelita drifted away like she'd seen a ghost.


	38. Chapter 38

Saved

"Aelita what was the result, tell me!" Terra asked with eagerness shaking Aelita.

The pink haired teen let a dramatic pause go for a minute, tension filled the air. Terra began to loss her cool till she saw her friends face with a huge grin.

"I'm not pregnant!" the two hugged each other giddy with joy and relief, "I guess I wasn't ovulating that night."

"You should be very happy nothing ever became of that." Terra said breaking the hug, "But we should get rid of the evidence so's not to let anyone on, especially Nathan or Jeremie or Yumi for that matter."

"Oh man, I'd rather have a global war break out with a super computer then have them find out about this." Aelita sighed, she laughed inside at the whole using a Xana metaphor.

The girls giggled in the freedom, when the blonde haired girl remember to call someone.

"Hey Guerrmo you won't believe the good news…" she said happily until he cut her off.

"Do you know how long I've been holding out, they've left already to the old gym just now." He said irritated.

"I'm sorry, well as a consolation prize Aelita's not going to have a baby! All we need to do now is dispose of the kits and we can go back to normality." Terra said like it was nothing.

"Well I'll meet you guys later, its good to know we can go back to our own lives." Guerrmo told her and hung up.

The rest of the day the gang stayed around the school and let the gym and some sports occupy their time. No one noticed anything about Aelita, though Yumi did notice a change in her movements during basketball with the guys. Something about the way she ran and jumped, though with Yumi's age and lack of life experiences she couldn't put her finger on it. Aelita also took eye and gave some worry to it, nothing seemed safe for now.

4 years later

The whole gang now went to the same highschool and things progressed alright, though Aelita still had two boys fight over her. They contested in many different fields, be it in some subjects or sports or even in times of holidays. In all, Jeremie won the bitter battles and Nathan receded from the contest. He lost to a now changed blonde haired boy, who thanks to their little war grew an acceptable muscle frame, wore contacts instead of his glasses, changed his outer appearance, and looked more mature then the scrawny pipsqueak he use to be. He holds valevictorian after the highschool years and his lovely girlfriend at his side.

Nathan though, kept himself aside. He grew quiet and distant from his friends as his family affairs began to take a toll on his mind. Though with the busy life of now university students the gang is now who really took a notice seriously. But he did go to functions with his friends and even got a few callings from some girls in the school. At the age of 23, he is now a normal male who spends little time around people and as much as he distanced himself from the others they didn't see it. Now he looms by himself going when and where he pleases.

However, soon he would find something of his past coming back to haunt him. In his dreams, he can always see a different girl always by him. She carries a child, he sees his friends off in the distance, then his little sister running to him but never getting close, last he falls to the ground looking to the sky as someone stands over him with a liquid covered object. An eye is in the face only one eye, red and never blinking.


	39. Chapter 39

Changes

Jeremie and Aelita sit in the courtyard during lunch, they've finished all of their classes for the day and just enjoying the day.

"Hey Jeremie I was thinking why don't we go clubbing tonight. I've been meaning to listen to other mixes for some time so I can brush up. We could invite everyone?" Aelita asked as she downed her chicken burger.

"I don't see why not, sure, I think it would also benefit Ulrich and Yumi. He's been dying to ask her out for so long." Jeremie sighed laughing.

"That boy still?" Aelita gasped

"Yup, still that whole opera mess going on between them. Last I heard Yumi was going out with this boy from the university and Ulrich stayed sulking in his room." He told her and then drank what was left of his soda.

"Well I'll call Odd and he'll get a hold of everyone for us." Aelita said happily.

The two finished their meals and left for their dorms to do their studying before the night. Of course on such short notice, not everyone was willing at first to go with the whole plan but they reluctantly went with it. Not like they all got out all the time and when they wanted.

Aelita put on a pink tank top like something Sissy would wear and a pear of leg tight jeans which really attracted Jeremie. He of course wore a black T shirt which gave view to his masculinity and green slacks.

He walked in on his darling when she was checking her outfit out in front of the mirror. His heart speed up seeing the attractive women, so he snuck up behind her and caught her in his arms playfully.

"Ohhh…you scared me!" Aelita told him as she put her hand to her chest.

"I'm sorry, but your just so ravishing in that dress." He grinned to her.

She giggled and soon felt herself captured by his lips, as he stood behind her he let his hands roam to her hips and legs. She moaned at the treatment and even chuckled some more between the kisses.

"Okay, okay that's enough Jeremie. We should save our energy for the club you know." She told him smiling with dreamy eyes.

"Sorry again, couldn't help myself. I got the keys lets go on and head out." He jingled the keys in the air as his love left for the bathroom for her purse.

At the Club

The two left in Jeremie's RAV4 Limited V6 and picked up Odd and Kila, since they didn't have any vehicle of their own. The drive was enjoyable, going through the busy streets and nightlife of the town, Odd brought up the newest additions to the club they were going to. Aelita learned of the new equipment in use and the finest music records available to the DJ, she looked forward to the lustrous music to be played.

As they neared the club parking lot, they saw Ulrich's, Guerrmo's, and Nathan's vehicles already there.

"Well looks like we'll be late to the party." Jeremie sighed taking the vehicle in.

"Ahh no worries Einstein we still have nighttime to party all night long!" Odd cheered out loud.

"Odd, can't you call me something else besides Einstein? It's been what several years since those old times." Jeremie said irritated.

"Well I guess it is time to give you a new nickname, give me some time and I'll get an idea." Odd smirked getting out of the car.

"Ya, like he ever does think." Jeremie replied under his breath.

The four paid for the entrance and went inside, there they met up with everyone at their table to the right side of the club.

"Hey how's it hanging!" Guerrmo rose and greeted them.

A couple of minutes worth of exchanging greetings and they sat down.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" Ulrich asked looking to the dance floor, Yumi came with her date for the evening. A young man named Davis Glandever with dark hair and a mature looking face.

"Well we dance till our legs fall off and we head off to something like one of the soda resturants and eat." Odd answered rubbing his stomach with eager patience.

They all willingly agreed and let the night run on its course. Colorful strobe lights and loud techno dance music envenomed the gang with the urge to move. Though the floor was crowded they still managed to get down and out with it.

Jeremie and Aelita looked like any other couple out there in the sea of bodies under a rainbow, they danced explicitly as well. Same went for everyone else besides Ulrich and Nathan, who still sat at their table.

"So how's all been?" Ulrich asked never taking his eyes off of Yumi.

"Eh, lonely and productive, just the way I like it." He said not even caring.

"Lonely and productive? You still love Aelita don't you." Ulrich really was referring to him and Yumi.

"That's all in the past for me, I can't match up to him nor do I care to fight for so long. Hell if fate has it in for me then so be it." Nathan said shrugging his shoulders and started to sip his virgin martini.

"Why?" Ulrich seemed to see some of himself in the matter.

"I loved her sure when we were still in junior high school and in high school. But all I ever cared about was for her to be happy, it seems to be effective." Nathan told him looking around.

"So all you care about I whether she's happy? But what about yourself, don't you feel empty and sad inside?" Ulrich noticed Yumi getting really close to that man he so wished it was him.

"Ya, there is always something missing within me yes. But when you've lived the life I've had, it really is only a small addition to the dampness. Boy I sure wish I could just tell her the things I want to say to her, but what will it mean in comparison to Jeremie? He seems more then fit to go out with her let alone I." Nathan fiddled with his empty glass cup.

"So you wouldn't even try if you wanted to, to tell her such things and hope for the best? Or just see your love of your life disappear with someone else." Ulrich actually tore his gaze from Yumi to see the mans response.

"I'm not the pursuing type unless I know she is in love with me as well. Other then that, I'd rather sulk till another girl comes into my life. I say fuck love man, you know what I'm out of here!" Nathan slammed his glass cup on the table, breaking it, and left.

Ulrich thought of the conversation he just had, if he continued the way he was then he'd end up losing the only girl who actually knew him and that they shared the same likes and things. Only to become a bitter man without no remorse, he gave it even deeper thought. Though in the process he picked up his friends broken martini glass before the others arrived and came to a conclusion. Before they would go to a restaurant, he had to tell her, tell her he loved her and wanted to be at her side. The only problem for him was if she would accept his declaration.

It was an hour before the rest of the gang actually came off the dance floor. Ulrich saw them covered with sweat and breathing hard like they just ran a triathlon. They all talked coming up to the table about the music and the bad songs. Ulrich got jealous when Yumi's date kissed her on the cheek, but kept his cool as everyone sat down.

"Oh wait, we're missing someone?" Odd was the first to notice.

"Ya, lets see……Nathan's gone?" Terra said after she counted.

"Oh well his loss." Jeremie cut the subject, "Man can you believe that girl behind us groped me?"

"Errrr…I was about this close to breaking her arm off!" Aelita frowned as the others chuckled.

"That happens sometimes on the floor, you gotta watch out for the sharks really." Yumi's date said.

Outside

Nathan got inside his Izuzu Hombre and began to pull out of his street parking. He felt depressed again and staying with the others would only make it worse. His truck barely pulled out and was half way on the street when someone's SUV crashed into the left front of him, leaving a good sized impact mark as both vehicles stopped. Nathan was shaken but nothing more, only his pride in the once untainted truck was harmed.

"Oh no….oh no no…Son of a Bitch!" He got out and saw the damage.

The SUV's driver got out and started to see the damage, she was in as much shock as well.

"Noooooooo, my beautiful green truck…." Nathan cried touching the damaged area.

"I'm going to have to see some papers so I can send you the bill for this!" a females voice shouted out.

"This is a 20 Mph zone you stupid bitch! You were going 40 in that piece of crap and I had the all clear to go too!" He pounded on the hood with his fists, "Now my insurance is going to kill me."

"You, I just bought this piece of crap. Hey face me when I'm talking to you!" the woman yelled as she turned the young man around.

She froze upon seeing his face, like cupid had just struck her with two of his arrows.

"You better have a good lawyer because I'm gonna…" he looked at her as well and felt the same speechlessness.

It was the way both of them looked to each other that seemed to feel like love at first sight. The young woman had short hair with two long side bangs to her collar bone, black hair as his, green eyes just as dark and lovely as Aelitas', and her body was perfect.

"You're the driver of that car?" he asked staring at her.

"Yes." She replied.

"Wanna go to my dorm to work out the information?" his heart spoke for him.

"Sure." She nodded as they shook hands and left to their vehicles.

Back Inside

Hours more passed midnight and the gang decided it was time to leave, though Ulrich kept his promise to himself. So as they exited he asked Yumi to step aside with him.

"So what is it you want Ulrich?" she asked.

"Yumi I…" he found it hard to say it, "Yumi there's something I've been wanting to tell you for so long."


	40. Chapter 40

Is It Fate?

Ulrich pulled Yumi aside, the others walked across the street to the parking lot.

"So what is it, spit it out Ulrich. Davis and the others are waiting for us." Yumi sighed as she tapped her foot.

"Yumi this is hard for me okay! Let them wait this is important to me, give me that!" he raised his voice.

She stood speechless, now he had her complete attention. They stood under a streetlight as a few cars passed by and their headlights bathed the couple.

"Yumi, here it is, I love you! I have always and because of my personality to this day I never had the courage to do so. Remember Kadic, William, Lyoko or those other times we shared?" He told her letting his heart pour out.

"I always mistook your feelings for normal crush syndrome?" she said sarcastically.

"Yumi, you know what kind of guy I am. You really think that I'd go up to you and tell you this back then? Yumi I love you and that's all there is too it, I want to be with you for the rest of my life just give me a chance please?" he pleaded to her.

His speech was all she needed, Yumi has secretly wished for Ulrich to tell her what she wanted to hear. She'd just about given up hope.

"Ulrich come close to me." She said as if his words didn't affect her.

The brown haired young man did as he was told, his heart anticipating her reaction be it a slap in the face or a kiss he so longed for. Just as he stopped in front of her, she grabbed his head and kissed him forcefully on the lips. Taking him by a long shot surprise, his heart really sped up and his muscles went slack. He could smell her perfume more then before, her lips as soft as silk his dream had become reality.

Yumi broke the kiss, "It took you long enough?" she smiled.

"I…duh…eh…emm…" he grinned and said unintelligible words.

"That's one thing out of you that I always liked, love makes you into putty. Well all that is needed to be closed is to break up with Davis." Yumi said letting go of Ulrich when she suddenly heard her date calling her.

"Hey Yumi we need to get going, the others are ready to take off!" Davis told her as he walked on the street.

Yumi was about to reply to him but her words were stopped short of making voice. Davis had his hand up waving to her when a large white van ran into him fast, his body was thrown after making contact with is front left corner. His head slammed into the hood and his body bounced off of the van into the air. The poor lad recoiled forward, the van screeching to a halt, and fell without moving much. He would of likely lived if it wasn't for a Lincoln Town car that arrived at the same speed but going the other way. Davis's head was the first to hit the wind shield, the rest of his body rolled on the roof of the speeding car. Yumi could hear the sound of smashing glass and glass shards hitting the street. She saw his body return back to its original position before the Lincoln car and skid in the direction of the car on the street. Bystanders could imagine the guy as a rag doll in that horrible incident. The man laid on the street not moving, both vehicles stopped and the drivers immediately got out to see his condition.

Both Yumi and Ulrich saw the whole incident unfold and quickly ran to the fallen mans side. The Japanese girl knelt down crying wanting to touch him but didn't for fear of making his pain worse. Davis wasn't moving and not even breathing, the driver of the white van check his neck for a pulse but found none. The driver of the Lincoln town car took off his jacket put it on the unfortunate man cut down in his prime. Yumi had by now clung to Ulrich just weeping out tears and cries of sorrow. He comforted her as best as he could and let her weep in his arms, not the ending he'd hoped for. Nor the way he wanted Yumi and him to break up.

Jeremie and the others came running to the streets, though looking both ways to not make a repeat. They ran to the accident and took in the violent scene, Davis was covered by a black leather jacket but not enough to hid the blood pooling where his mouth was. Odd looked around, he saw both of the drivers on their cell phones. Kila and Aelita looked away from it all and went to aid Ulrich with Yumi.

"Man…" was all Odd could say, not an appropriate time for a joke.

Jeremie just put a hand on his friends shoulder, he sighed.

"Life can deal a good hand or a bad blow to us all." The blonde haired boy gave a short intellectual word so his friend wouldn't feel wordless.

The gang left to the restaurant as planned, by then Yumi has calmed down from the worst of her lamenting. Aelita and Odd decided that taking Yumi to the food outlet might help her recover fully.

They arrived and ate, but watched their raven haired woman chug several mugs of root beer. She showed at least a half focus to what they overall talked about, a definite improvement for her. She wasn't sulking or depressed enough to worry whether she would close up.

She surprisingly spoke up, "You know I never really knew him completely, we've been going out for only a month. I say cheers to him, he deserves at least that much." Yumi raised her eighth mug of root beer in the air.

The others lifted their mugs and clanked them together, "Cheers!".

They all drank till their mugs were empty. Aelita was the loudest of everyone when she belched, Odd was the second, Kila third, and the others the last ones. It was after a few seconds of silence when they all busted out laughing themselves to tears.

At the Dorms

Nathan unlocked his room and let the woman enter, he turned on the lights.

"Wow, for a dorm room this is quite nice like a small fancy apartment." She eyed the whole living room.

"I worked hard to get where I am now." He told her closing the door, "Hey want some coffee?"

"Sure, I'll set up our papers on your table and we'll work it out." She told him nodding to him.

He smiled and left to the kitchen to start the brewing, as he did she took her information out of her bag and placed it neatly on the table. Though afterwards he still remained busy, so she decided to look around.

To her eyes, he was quite a clean person but by the looks he wasn't the type to have a lot of people over. His sofa was clean and untouched by someone's rear, the TV was polished and clean, and the floor felt virtually vacuumed before she arrived. The young woman took a seat on the table chair and waited patiently.

Five minutes passed and the boy returned with two cups of fresh coffee. She smiled and took her cup he offered and watched him take a seat.

"So, um I never got your name?" he asked putting his cup down.

"My name is Yunia Dokishi." She told him.

"Nathan Hernandez, good to meet you." He shook her hand again.

They talked over a bit of some small things and about the accident, and they sorted everything out with their insurance companies.

"Well everything's been taken care of, oh please excuse me." He blushed and left for the restroom, the martini earlier ago hit his system.

Once he left, Yunia scoped around the room once more. She checked out his CD collection and as she pulled out an album of Beethoven, a picture came out. It fell like a feather on her dress shoes and sat down like a sleeping kitten. She picked it up and examined the photo, it was a picture of Nathan with another girl with pink hair?

He and her looked like they were having a great time, his arm slung around her and her head tilted onto his body as they made the peace sign with their hands to the camera. The date was four or so years ago during the summer.

Nathan finished in the facilities and came out closing the door.

"Well I was thinking I could drive you to your home since your car is…" he said chuckling nervously but stopped when he saw Yunia holding one of his secret pictures looking at him puzzled.

"She your friend?" Yunia smiled to him.

He rushed to her and snatched the photo away from her hands and went to his room. Leaving her more puzzled and cautious about him, he came back and she took a seat on the sofa.

"I'm sorry for acting like that…" he stopped by the windows and looked out.

"She a family member or something?" she asked.

"Lets just say fate gave me happiness and then quickly stole it away from me." He told her sounding depressed.

"I'm guessing a girlfriend." Yunia looked away.

"More then that, she understood me and what I went through. She knows about my past more then my oldest friends! We've been together…" he recalled the wondrous times.

"Oh…I see, well I didn't mean to bring back old wounds." Yunia started to rise.

He snapped out of his day dreaming, "No no, I did this to myself. I can't let my mind forget about it all, hey lets forget about this. I'm sure you need to go home anyways, it's past midnight." He told her.

"Well my cars damaged around the engine and I don't know if that has affected any of it. I'd rather not have it break down at night if you know what I mean." She looked away shyly.


	41. Chapter 41

Braving it All

The gang ate a small meal but their stomach was satisfied none the less. Yumi got such a sugar rush that it only lasted for a minute and then she looked like a drunk. She tried her hardest to stay awake and mumble that she was alright but nothing came, right before they left to the cars she kissed Ulrich and then passed out of exhaustion. Jeremie and the others were quite surprised at that and helped their friends into their car.

"Man Ulrich I think we should of cut her off from the soda after the tenth drink." Odd chuckled.

"I guess I should have kept her awake so she would use the restroom. I think she downed ten gallons of that stuff." Ulrich shook his head lifting Yumi into the front right passenger seat.

"Well next time we'll know better." Odd added before waving goodbye.

"Thanks again Odd for helping me, call ya tomorrow." Ulrich told him and got into his vehicle.

Odd walked to Jeremie's car and yawned.

"So how's Yumi, she awake yet?" Jeremie asked smiling.

"She'll make it but I think very soon that root beer's going to wake her up." He laughed.

"I hope that doesn't happen while their on the road." Aelita giggled to herself.

Everyone got in and started to pull out of the parking and onto the highway.

"Oh hey, I need to call Nathan about what happened tonight!" Odd smacked his forehead and pulled out his cell.

"Nathan?...Oh right him, I forgot about that guy!" Jeremie remembered.

"Man how could we of forgotten about him, hey your suppose to be the smart one." Kila back handed Jeremie's head rest playfully.

"I can't think of everything!" he sighed taking the car onto the highway.

Aelita thought about it, now to think about it she recalled all the times they all went out and half the time he left early. Well actually they never really saw much of him at least as much as Terra or Guerrmo, which made her feel guilty of neglection as on the others parts.

"I wonder why he leaves way before we all do and so much?" Aelita asked.

"He's a weird kid, what can we expect?" Jeremie answered.

"Jeremie's right, after high school or more so before it he did change." Kila nodded.

"Hey will you all shut it I got his phone!" Odd loudly whispered.

The phone rang on the other line but he had to wait seven rings before anyone answered.

"Hello?" a familiar voice answered.

"Hey dude, its Odd look your never going to believe what happened just hours ago. Oh man it went like this…" Odd was getting into the conversation when he was interrupted.

"Odd I don't have the time to listen right now give me the low down tomorrow at school. Later." And he hung up on him.

The spiky blonde haired boy looked at his cell in amazment, that was a first or was it?

"So did you get him Odd?" Aelita asked.

"The dude said he didn't have time to hear about Davis and just hung up!" he put his phone away looked out the window, "I was about to give a punch line soon too."

"I'm sure he had good reason to have done that don't worry Odd." Kila told him and gave a quick peek on his cheek, he lightened up after that.

"Come to think of it again, he's not as sociable as I remember him from middle school." Aelita sat in her seat thinking.

Ulrich

Yumi still slept as Ulrich drove on to the school, fatigue seemed to have a tight grip on her. From the drinking of large quantities of soda after a Davis died right in front of her to that sugar high he figured Yumi was going to be asleep for the whole night.

Around half way to the school she began to sleep talk.

"I'm sorry…….no…no…….Davis….Ulrich…….please don….beeee….angry." he heard her mumble.

Ulrich just smiled he didn't care about Davis anymore but her emotional being. Which now seemed to be doing okay for someone as her.

"Yumi, I know you can't hear me but I'd rather you didn't. I always felt nothing but love for you…and if that meant you being happier with Davis well then I'd of let it gone on. Though being the person that I am I'd most likely have sulked for eternity." He chuckled to himself, "It was all thanks to our friend Nathan and his own sorrow over losing Aelita to Jeremie that allowed me the courage to tell you I love you, and for that I thank him personally. But I hope what I was planning on going through isn't going to be his future. Well aside from that, my heart feels like a load off its back. I'll help you through this mess as much as I can okay?" he started to cry tears of happiness.

"Ulrich I…pain in my heart…please…time before….us starts…" she looked half awake and half asleep with her eyes struggling to stay open as she had them.

"I'll do whatever you ask of me." He told her close to the school now, "Davis my man, forgive me for…well you know…I'm sorry."


	42. Chapter 42

Cleaning Up

Yumi woke up the next morning in her bed, Aelita was already up and about. She was cleaning the shelves real quickly drinking from a can of fruit nectar. Yumi got up, stretched, and rubbed her eyes before Aelita noticed her sister was awake.

"Ahhhhhh, what time is it?" Yumi yawned out.

"It's nine twenty-five." Aelita smiled to her sitting on her bed parallel to Yumi's.

"Good thing there's no classes today. Well I need to clean up and then we'll head to breakfast?" Yumi asked quickly looking for cloths for today.

"Sure, I'll go around and ask if anyone else wants to join us too." The pink haired girl said seeing her friend out the door and to herself, "Lets see, Ulrich and Jeremie will defiantly want to go, Odd and Kila a maybe, and a definite with Guerrmo and Terra. Who else….oh Nathan that's right."

Yumi washed up and dressed for the morning, Aelita too. After they grabbed their purses and cells they locked their dorm.

"Okay I'll go get the boys and Kila and you get the other two and Terra. Meet up at the front of the school kay?" Yumi asked already walking away.

"Sure." Aelita walked the opposite way.

Yumi decided to pull a prank or something on Odd and Ulrich, so as she stood at their dorm. Yumi opened the door slightly and then played the role of a SWAT police breaking in.

She kicked in the door and spoke in a manly voice, "Alright hands up this is the police!" busting into their room.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Odd screamed as he rolled off his bed and banged his head on his laptop backpack, with the laptop still inside.

"Police!" Ulrich shot up and forgot he was in bed and ran off it. He ran into the bookcase that was positioned facing the wall but at the foot of his bed. His head just smacked hard into it and he fell to the floor.

Yumi fell to the floor as well but went down laughing and holding her stomach. She was laughing so hard it hurt and made her tear. While Ulrich and Odd recovered from the rude awakening, they rubbed their heads and shoulders.

"You guys were so hilarious...laughing…I should have brought a camera!" she still laughed.

"What do you want Yumi." Ulrich groaned standing up.

"Ya, can you tell us why you scared the hell out of us as well?" Odd kicked his laptop backpack.

Yumi finally finished laughing enough to speak, "Oh man, okay I came by to ask if you wanted to come with me and Aelita at the café for breakfast."

"Sounds good." Ulrich answered going to his dresser drawer.

"I'm in as long as there's omelets involved." Odd straighten out his spiky hair.

"Cool, see you guys in front of the school I'm going to get Kila." Yumi giggled before closing the door.

Aelita went down to Terra's room but found that her friend had already woken up and must be taking a shower. So Aelita went on and came to Guerrmo's dorm and knocked.

The tall boy answered seemingly dressed for casual Friday with a calculator in hand, "Morning Aelita, did you need something?"

"I'm going around to see if everyone wants to go out for breakfast." Aelita replied.

"I'm sorry but my exam in chemistry IV is killing me so I can't break away from study." Guerrmo responded.

"Okay, well good luck with your studies bye." Aelita left his door.

She had Nathan's room to visit last and then hopefully Terra would be out of the shower. Aelita had to walk two hallways before she came across the right door. She knocked twice and waited, but no answer came. So as a second go she used more force with the next knock, now she got a response. Aelita could hear footsteps growing louder and then the unlocking of the doors deadbolt. At the door was Nathan looking like he barely woke up or got any sleep at all.

"Good morning sunshine." She giggled at his embarrassing look, "Well aside from your morning face I came by to see if you wanted to come with us to get some breakfast?"

He still tired and groggy, "I guess let me just…"

"Who's at the door?" a girls voice came from his bedroom.

"Just a friend, say do you want to go out for breakfast!" he looked behind him.

"Who's that?" Aelita wanted to know.

"Okay, let me just get dressed!" Aelita could hear a door close.

"You guys don't mind another person tagging along?" Nathan asked.

"Just meet us in front of the school okay?" Aelita was perplexed.

"Be down there in ten." And he closed the door.

As Aelita walked away, she wondered on who that woman was with him and what was she doing there so early in the morning. She pondered the thought all the way to Terra's room, the blonde girl just started to walk out.

"Hey Terra." Aelita called out walking to the girl locking her door.

"Good morning Aelita, what's up?" Terra put her keys into her pockets.

"We're all going out for breakfast you want to come with us?" Aelita asked.

"Okay, I'm not doing anything at the moment anyways." Terra said as the two girls began to walk to the schools front.

"Hey have you noticed that our friend Nathan has a someone over, a woman. She was there when I saw him and looked like he just woke up." Aelita said, she had her arms crossed on her chest.

"Ya I know what you mean, I heard those two half the night." Terra sighed grinning.

"You mean talking or as in me and Jeremie during our birthdays?" Aelita's brow went up in curiosity.

"As in you and Jeremie during your birthdays yes. They got me nearly as angry as you two made me, these walls aren't concrete." Terra said as the girls neared the stairs to their destination.

"Atleast he found someone." Aelita chuckled.

"So what are you going to get for breakfast?" Terra asked.

"Well today is a special one for me and Jeremie, so I'm going to have a special meal with him." They reached the bottom and went through the doors to the outside.

"Oh what's the occasion?" the bright sun light nearly blinded the two but their eyes quickly accustomed to the light.

"Let's just say, well really, me and my old friends went through a hard time. They rescued me from a prison should I say." Aelita left her friend clueless.


	43. Chapter 43

Tragic Loss

"See you at the café Yunia!" Nathan yelled to her across the parking lot.

"Okay, wait for me!" she told him before stepping inside her vehicle.

The others got into their one car, they all decided to carpool since the other two were going in their own ways. The three cars pulled out one by one and exited to lot, the morning was serene and growing hot. Though the steamy morning only made the day more enjoyable especially with the air conditioner of the vehicles. Aelita and the others listened to some hip beat of techno as they got on the road, Nathan second to leave just opened his window and let his ears partake in the flow of air. Yunia the same but her AC was on full blast, she was the last to leave.

Down the street, two sports cars swerved into the road. The drivers had previously won a nights worth of racing over by the causeways in the farm areas. They were giving their all into a final race home, their engines so loud even people still asleep could be woken up by them.

Yunia never really saw the two speeding sports cars, her mind was in a blissful world. The first black car with streaks painted on its sides couldn't stop in time and clipped a truck, then it drifted into her van at terrible speed. The prow of the fast car went clean into the drivers seat, the second car didn't even notice all that was happening after his friend slammed into the truck. The red speeder with purple under lights crashed straight on into the passengers side of Yunia's van which sealed her fate is she didn't die from the first impact.

The crash was loud, meshing metal and grinding tires, screaming into anyone's ears within the immediate area. Nathan, who had his hand out the window, first heard the devastating sounds looked to his mirrors with panic overwhelming him. On reaction, he drove his truck onto an apartment buildings lawn and got out almost falling to the dew sprayed grass. His face remained emotionless seeing the girls van completely totaled in the front seating section.

The gang already close to the intersection heard the crash as well, but they reacted more slowly because of the other cars in front and behind them. But by the time they did reach the green Izuzu Hombre, they got a glimps of a car wreck and a hysterically crying man.

Jeremie, driving the gangs ride, parked the car to the sidewalk and watched the others get out quickly to be of some aid. Today was suppose to be a special one, a day of defeat over evil.

"Xana, even when your dead you still bring us grief this dark day of our lives." Jeremie said to himself before getting out.

The Police came and went, the damaged cars were towed away, two bodies were pronounced dead and the other driver of the red car in stable condition, the café trip went on as planned but with the exception of one, the mornings atmosphere gave peace, and now the almost discouraged celebration came to light.

"Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, Aelita…and me. Today we are commemorating the victory over a true evil force, an evil mind bent on our worlds destruction. The days of that horrible era are long gone, what we gained from it was a new outlook on life. A new lease on life, a new companion who's parents were sadly claimed by fate, our friendship stronger then ever before, and other things we gained that have escaped our present thoughts. Xana is gone, the world is saved, but even in this time of peace his dark shadow still looms over our friends outside our circle. Only if we stick together as the family we are, do we keep this unsung history of mankind awake. May all of our lives be prosperous, fruitful, and stay close to one another till the days we die. Cheers." Jeremie said his speech with the true part of his soul, his being projected into his words with no mistakes or errors. He raised his glass of tea with Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, and Aelita whom smiled softly as they remembered the hard times of the Xana era.

Their glasses clanked and the others said 'Cheers' as well, pulling their cups to their mouths and drinking all of its contents. From then on, they sat talking inside the partially empty café and reminisced over their adventures and close calls. The actions on Lyoko that brought terror and joy to them all and their Kadic years doubled with all the attacks. The girls giggled whenever Odd was reminded of his screw-up's on both worlds and the things Xana gave them other then sufferings.

After much of two hours or more converstating, Jeremie surprised the gang by having a special healthy cake arrive from the cafés kitchen. It had the number of years of freedom on its icing, the makers didn't really get the cakes meaning but who cares. Odd of course dove into the cake and took about a quarter to himself, the others found that cute funny in the mood they were in. The rest of the cake was devoured by the others, they left back to the school after thirty minutes of letting the food sink in.


	44. Chapter 44

The Enemy's Face

Five days later, Aelita and Jeremie head out to run some errands in the town. Nathan still hasn't come out of his room except for classes and even after that he locks himself in. The others continue on with their lives not much affected by their friend.

"Okay so what are we getting again?" Aelita asks forgetting for the second time of the items on the list.

"Just some disposable cameras, a couple of sodas for the fridge, and your stuff." Jeremie sighed closing his car door.

The couple went in and out just under thirty minutes, though Aelita wanted to stay to get out of her dorm. So Jeremie reluctantly agreed to take her out to the movies. As they walked out of the store, an aged man bumped into her without a care in the world.

"Hey be careful sir?" she told him irritated.

The man looked to her and grinned evilly, his face had a scar on his right cheek. Only making him more repulsive, not to mention his long dark jacket and short hair that contributed to his nastiness.

"That guy gives me the creeps." Aelita shivered getting into the car.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's one hell of creep in his soul. Forget about him and lets go." Jeremie said trying to hurry her up.

That weird guys imaged seemed all to familiar to her for some reason. His eyes checking her out in a perverted way didn't help. Something continued to plague her even throughout the rest of the day. Jeremie also noticed the discomfort within her, so he acted as boy friendly as possible and what better way to help your partner then with a few kisses and hugs.

"Thanks Jeremie." She told him as they walked out of the movies.

"You seemed troubled, so I thought….ehh a hug would do you good." He smiled to her giving another tender kiss on her cheek.

"Its like ever since I bumped into that guy, he left a shadow on me." Aelita returned to her troubled face again.

"Well I'm sure the guys back at school could clean you of that dark cloak." Jeremie told her, she nodded.

At the school the two walked into the library and found Kila and Odd and Ulrich messing around on the computers there.

"Hello Aelita, Jeremie." Kila greeted them.

"What's up Sci.!" Odd called him his new nickname.

"That stands for as?" Jeremie sighed.

"Odd means to call you scientist, so to shorten it its psy." Ulrich laughed.

"Alright, no that's a catchy name." Aelita chuckled.

"So what are you guys up to?" Kila asked.

"Oh just out and about." Aelita said and Jeremie picked up.

"Did some errands and we ran into a strange character at the store, the dude gave Aelita an uncomfortable feelings the rest of the day. So we're here to take away that shadow he left on her" Jeremie helped her to a couch.

"Don't worry Aelita, you'll run into those bad people every now and then. Hey go get some café late and come read my blog!" Kila offered.

"Sure, Jeremie do you want some too?" she asked him getting up.

"Ya, four sugars please." He picked up a magazine.

Aelita was at the coffee dispenser and found Guerrmo there as well. He had a book in his hand, something on physics or physiology.

"Hi Guerrmo, how goes the studies?" the pink haired girl asked.

"Oh hey, pretty good right now, Terra's helping me with the hard parts." Guerrmo told her taking a sip from his cup.

"Nathan's not joining you?" she inquired while she filled her cup.

"Haven't seen since the accident." The man told her.

"Oh…well I hope your studies have great results." She said cheerfully and walked off with her two cups.

By the time she got to the others, Jeremie had already got onto Odd's computer and helped him fix a word document he so badly messed up.

"See Odd, that's all you had to do." Jeremie gave back the controls.

"How was I suppose to know I had to save it under that specific file." The purple clothed young man replied aggravated as the computer made him look stupid.

"Don't worry Odd, not everyone's good at computers." Ulrich tried to cheer him up.

"I'll just put our cups here, I'm going to the bathroom be right back." She left them as Odd and Jeremie argued over the program.

She started to worry about Nathan, to much sulking will kill a person as far as her health class told her. So she went up the two flights of stairs and down a hall, till she came up to the one she wanted. But this time she entered without knocking knowing full well he may of locked it. Surprisingly it was open and she almost fell in trying to anticipate a locked door.

Inside, the dorm room looked virtually untouched save the empty cups on the dinning table. She closed the door gently and searched the room for Nathan, he was not in any of the rooms closest to her. Spending five minutes looking and she came across his bedroom, she found inside a boy curled up in his bed sheets like a child. Sleeping away the day instead of going out and doing something fun and sociable.

Aelita walked up to his bedside and gave a nudge. The boy shot up in shock and surprise and yet he managed to grab her by the throat like as if she was an assassin. His grasp was strong and Aelita couldn't get a word out as her hands attempted to give her air. His eyes that were just moments ago so small she couldn't see them now returned to waking normality and looked to her.

He gasped and quickly let her go, she fell to his bed coughing to clear her throat.

"I'm sorry Aelita forgive me!" he jumped out of bed and helped her up.

"What….has you….so…defensive?" she asked him coughing out a smile.

"I've gotten a vid tape from someone telling me they've seen the men around here again." He looked away, "The ones who took my sister, they said they're the ones who took Yunia's life because she was knowledgeable of their whereabouts. So I've been edgy, police know and are doing what they can for right now."

Then it hit her, that man she bumped into, his scar upon his cheek. That was his sisters mark she left for the trail.

"I saw them?" she gasped.

"What!" he yelled at her as his eyes opened very wide.

"Today, when me and Jeremie went to run some errands I bumped into one creepy man with a scar to his face." She told him, her grip on his left arm grew tighter.

"That means they're coming back to hunt…." He got up and looked for a shirt, "Aelita stay with everyone at all times, tell the other girls the same. No one is safe if they've returned." He instructed her and went out the room.

"Hey where are you going!" she said getting up and following him.

"To see a contact about them. What do you think I've been doing in my room?" he smirked to her before leaving.

He left the pink haired girl confused but now worried. She quickly left the room to the others, she had one heck of a story to tell them.


	45. Chapter 45

Secret

Aelita decided to follow Nathan, but she did use her cell to call the others and tell them what she knew. At first she almost had Jeremie search for her and try to stop her from going. But in the end she used her persuasion to bend his will to her favor. He agreed to relay the message to the others and promised they'd stay on school grounds.

She followed Nathan to his truck and literally gave him a heart attack as she grabbed his shoulder.

"Fuck!" he shouted throwing himself aginst the door.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, but whether you like it or not I'm coming too." She told him sternly.

"Okay okay, just don't do that. I have a low blood pressure dang." He sighed opening his door and unlocking her side.

They both got in and drove onto the main road, it was going to be a long drive to the informant. So the pink haired girl decided to make some conversation.

"This guy, he knows about those men?" she asked feeling stupid but knowing it would lead to a bigger thing.

"Yes, he's helped the police in the case however, he's my family friend and a fine hacker if I must say." He told her sorta lightening up.

"Should I stay in the truck while you go see him?" she asked.

"No, your coming in with me. Who knows if these slave traders have scouts watching me." Nathan surprisingly went for her hand and held it, squeezing ever so slightly to let her know he cared about her.

"That's good to know." She smiled weakly.

"To know that we know about the slave traders or that I still love you." He grinned nervously at what he said.

"Both." Aelita moved her hand around his to where they had them clasped together.

Aelita could feel a slight cold feeling to his fingers but they warmed up with her hand. Soon his thumb began caressing her hand, she blushed slightly. It had been very long since they actually showed such love to each other. Aelita had just about thought he was just a lonely depressed man, now her eyes opened. She saw the kind and protective boy she knew back when this all started. The boy who sacrificed himself for her at those life risking moments, almost died after they got Kathleen arrested, and whom she made love with the first time. That little piece of her those few years came back, now she would be able to finish what she started that one day. Help him heal his wounds and pain.

The drive was two hours long, and soon they drew close to a neighborhood. To Aelita it looked like a normal urban setting, but as they drove into a street she saw something else. Most of the houses were owned but with little signs of their occupants, stray dogs were chained to the front yards. Varying in color, they showed their teeth with aggression as their truck passed by their domains.

"Don't worry, those dogs may look mean but they can sense when an person who's bad inside passes by. They bark like mad and the people on these blocks come to the window ready to fight if need be. I bet they'd love you as good at heart as you are." He giggled pulling the truck into a drive way of a plain grey house.

As Aelita and him got out and formed up side by side, he pointed to the open backyard drive way. It led to a garage way in the back end of the back yard, the grass looked like it hadn't been cut in some months now. When the two started to walk to the side door of the home, she almost slipped from something on the ground. Thankfully Nathan was there to catch her, she blushed in his arms till he helped her stand again.

"Be very careful and watch your step, there are Chinese plums everywhere. I hope you like that fruit cause he'll offer us some." Nathan plucked a one of the sun colored plums off of the many limbed tree and showed her.

"Wow, do we just eat it like this?" she asked taking it and continued walking.

"No, there's a jam you make out of them. Very sweet. Okay just follow me and don't go anywhere without me, incase the dogs begin to bark I need to know where you are." His tone changed from loving to a policeman.

She sensed that now wasn't the time for her to ask any questions as they went inside. But all of this worried her, what if the dogs began to bark.

Nathan knocked on the door three times and someone answered, it was an old lady.

"Why hello there are you Nathan Hernandez?" the frail woman asked.

"Yes ma'am, its good to see you again." He smiled and hugged her like a childhood kid or a grandchild.

"My my, it's defiantly been along time since then. Well I made that jam you both like." She chuckled to herself as she turned and went into the house.

Nathan motioned her to follow him and he closed the door after both were in. Aelita looked around, the home looked quite small but very quaint. The kitchen was nominal and the livingroom was big enough for two large sofas and a TV. Aelita noticed an old man sitting on the couch drinking coffee as he read the news paper. He did say a short hello and shook both their hands before returning to his reading.

"We'll be in hackers room?" Nathan told her before he and her left down a long hall.

They went all the way down to the last door on the left and entered. As Nathan opened the door, a young man popped out with a large shotgun aimed at the couple.

"State your name and business." He told them with his eyes leering at them with dark intent.

"Man stop joking around we got business to do." Nathan pushed the gun out of the way.

"Ha ha, just tryin to have some fun." The man told them as he set his gun to the side, he had a heavy latin accent in his words.

Aelita and Nathan went into the dim room, Aelita felt very unsure of what was going on. So she quickly grabbed Nathan's hand before anything else happened. Then the lights came on, like a flash from perpetual lightning. The room lit up, revealing an electronic equipment crammed quarters. Hard drives were suspended from the walls and multiple screens clustered together in various corners, their wires webbed the ceiling by hooks and tape. All this came to Aelita as the super calculator lab of the factory, the whole room looked like a miniature version of the computer interface Jeremie used without the holo map and all.

The informant sat down in his large desk chair and wheeled up to the couple. He had a soda previously open in his hand.

"So my friend, what can I do for you today eh?" he asked.

"You know why I'm here." Nathan said sternly.

"I meant why did you bring this fine chica?" he grinned at her.

"She wanted to come so I'll be her escort for the entire time." Nathan replied, "Can we get on with this?"

"You know, I always knew you'd snag a beautiful girl. Not everyone goes through your messed up life and gets a chica as hermoso and actually pink haired as you madam." He bowed to her sitting in his chair before spinning to the computers.

"He's very curdious as you can see, what he told you was he said you were very lovely in Spanish. He doesn't get out as much." Nathan told her as he touched her shoulder.

"Anyone care for some tortillas with jam?" the old lady came in with a plate of the stuff.

"Thanks grandma." The informant said to her and she put the plate on a small table before leaving.

The old woman smiled to them right before she closed the door. Aelita watched Nathan take a piece and he nodded to her so she did the same. The jam was amazingly sweet and thick with pulp, better then grape jelly.

"Okay, from what I've been able to find. They've been buying up some stuff and they have open slots for sale. Meaning…" the informant spoke as he typed away, his face was concentrated to the screens.

"They have already caught more victims…where is the check in point?" Nathan asked.

The informant continued to type away on his comp and gave them a look like it would take a while till they got an answer. So in the mean time, Nathan grabbed her hand again but this time he scooted close to her. Aelita felt safer when he did that, she smiled to him before resting her head on his shoulder.

"Give me one more minute and I'll have some stuff from my buddies." The informant told them.


	46. Chapter 46

Ion Rose

The time for the information took much longer then expected. Aelita fell asleep on the bed while Nathan looked over Hackers shoulder. More then two hours passed and finally they made a break through into the data bases of the traders accounts.

"Okay, were through, all those encryptions took up all the time. But I've got the skills to get past those Fed. barriers." Hacker congratulated himself.

"I want to see their buyers, the slots, and the arrival point their doing this at ASAP." Nathan ordered.

"Cool your jets Mr. Drill Sergeant, with a simple click of the enter key….there you go." On the screen an entire file opened up with all the information they needed to know.

Countless buyers came up with their account numbers, all the slots filled or not were in numerical order, and a electronic letter for the recipients was at the end of the file. Nathan didn't show any change in his mood, but one could see in his eyes the joy of revenge so close to him. Hacker typed again and his printer came alive, several sheets were spit out and Nathan immediately took them. He fell sitting on the bed and shook Aelita awake, she rubbed her eyes of sleep before seeing him next to her. She saw the papers in his hands, something told her they got what they came for. Hacker sat slouched in his chair as he used a touch screen to check on his firewalls and system scanners.

All was going well when she heard Hacker cuss and had shock all upon his face. He then frantically went to all his computer screens and typed and pressed the screens as fast as he could.

"Shit! I've been tracked, you two leave now!" Hacker got up and slung his shot gun over his shoulder.

Nathan and Aelita rose up and got half way into the hallway when they heard the dogs bark viscously. The couple stopped as hacker stopped, he pushed the wall and out came a flipable console. There a mini screen with a big red button showed where he did his work and slammed the button before heading into the living room.

"What's going on!" Aelita felt scared and fearful of the dogs.

"Somehow those dam traders bugged Hackers system and now they'll be sending in someone to investigate. He warned me of this…" Nathan told her as his breathing increased and a sheen of sweat started to form on his face.

"Grandma, Grandpa I'm sorry but those ruffians are going to pass our street again." Hacker told them calmly and gently as possible.

"Oh my, why can't they stay by themselves and out of our streets…" the old lady talked to herself.

"Nathan pull your truck into the backyard and out of sight, go go!" Hacker hurried him out the door and went outside with him.

Aelita was confused, she felt safe but yet the black haired boy told him to be at her side not matter what. So what should she do? The pink haired girl went ahead and took a seat by the old man who seemed to not be affected by the situation at all. He made her feel safer seeing him drink from his cup and look into another section of the paper. She didn't have anything to do for the moment so, Aelita looked around the living room at its decorations and old TV set.

Outside, Nathan slung the door open and jumped in with the keys in. After he got the truck to start, he floored it into the overgrown yard as his friend chained the small gates closed. The little green Izuzu ground to a halt on the wet grass, he almost came too close to the fence slamming on the brake. In the process, his head hit the steering wheel causing a slight cut. The man got out and closed the door after getting the all clear by Hacker at the end of the house. Both ran inside and locked the doors as fast as they got in.

Aelita jumped up and ran to Nathan holding his arm, he held her as they all awaited their blocks dogs to sound out. Hacker stood at the window shades attentively with gun in hand, he looked scared very scared. The old grandparents though went on as usual, nothing got their attention. Nathan guided Aelita to a recliner close to the hallway and away from the windows before joining Hacker at the blinds.

"Are the other neighbors alerted now?" Nathan whispered as his eyes scanned the road.

"Ya, they all know whether they heard the dogs or not." Hacker said afraid and happy all at the same time.

"I don't know, when they pass I'm thinking of meeting up with vipers and finish this up once and for all." Nathan said.

"What about backup, you gonna call the police? What about her?" he pointed with his eyes at the girl shaking in the seat.

"She'll be safe with you and your grandparents, we both know that this is the best block there is in this city. I will not put her in danger, this is not her battle." He said scornfully.

"Got it man, but one more thing. If you don't make it back where is she going to go?" the computer informant looked puzzled.

"Give her a phone and she'll do the rest. I'll give you the call after I've head in and you'll see this on the news. You hear of deaths and me among them you know what happens next man." Nathan looked away from the blinds to her, he looked sad thinking of the negative outcome.

"Your going to have to tell her all of this you know?" Hacker jerked his head to her, Nathan nodded and left his friends side.

"Aelita I need to talk to you, follow me." He helped her up by hand and took her to Hackers room, where he closed the door.

"Jesus what's wrong with Nathan?" the old lady asked with a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Nothing grandma, he's just a little…trapped right now." Hacker told her nicely.

Nathan sat her on the bed as he took the desk chair, at the moment Aelita didn't know what to expect. But his face gave an impression to her that this wasn't going to be good.

"Aelita, do you want to know what I've been doing after the others arrived?" he asked her simply as possible.

"Uhh….sure?" she said in an unsure tone.

"I've been deceitful to everyone, I believe though that no one really noticed me so that's good." He said and Aelita jumped in.

"What are you talking about, Guerrmo and Terra were worried about you. The others well…they did give you some thought…" Nathan cut her off.

"Stop okay just stop, as if I care about any of them anymore. All besides the point, I became reclusive and distant on purpose because I've been watching them. Those men have been drawing closer to this place for their return, more girls are going to get hurt. So I decided to join an underground group dedicated to tracking and revealing Slave Traders. For the past couple of years after classes I've been talking to them, planning with them, and helping them as well as listening. This group has kept records on the ones who took my sister and…I've learned that she's still alive." He sighed out.

"She's…alive!" Aelita gasped.

"Yes, a servant of one of the crime lords organizing the trading guild that took her. Well to sum it all up, I along with a tactical squad are going into the check in facility and kill the leaders. We will call the police upon the first engagement, secure my sister and any other girls and take them to a security point where our undercover FBI friends will take it from there as we leave in a van undetected. My sister will be saved and taken in, I'll get to see her without her knowing it was me in the fight. Why I'm telling you this…is because the chances of me and the viper squad making it out without losses is very slim. I may die there…" he finally finished what he wanted to say.

After he wiped away the tension caused sweat, he looked to Aelita. His feeling of accomplishment was thrown away upon seeing her awed face, her wide open eyes, and still pose. He tapped her on the shoulder trying to snap her out of it, he succeeded by got a slap in the face for it.

"Your going to risk your life!" she shouted in his face.

He couldn't respond to her, for fear of making things more complicated then ever.

"So what am I going to do huh! Stay here forever!" she rolled her eyes.

"If I don't call back in half an hour after I've given the entry signal then Hacker will be more then gladly to had you a phone to get the others to pick you up. Here are the directions for them." He told her taking out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.

"You might die…" she began to cry, she looked to the floor as her hands grasped the bed sheets.

"I've been protecting you since the day you came into my life. Its time you let someone else be the protectee." He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

But the woman slapped him away from her and continued to sulk. He felt bad but it had to be done, the police go by the book and the men he was after would more then likely get away. So he and the others would take matters into their own hands and go into the lions den. Nathan let out a big sigh and started to get up, he looked at her as his guilt swarmed into his heart. Before he knew it she was upon him, her arms squeezed him tightly as the force of her weight on him sat them both down to the desk chair with a thump. He was overwhelmed with shock as her grip tightened like a Boa's death hold. She weeped into his chest loudly, her coughs and cries vibrated into his body. In response he hugged her back hoping to calm her, but as he did she lifted her tearful face. Both their eyes locked and their chests sucked in from the feelings of unexplainable thoughts.

He didn't hear himself say this to her, "If I could give you a symbol of my love, I'd give you an Ion blue colored rose, so bright and everlasting energy that never flays under the elements." Smiling to her.


	47. Chapter 47

Going for the Worst

Aelita holds him like as if the world was going to end horribly, she never lost her close friends in her life why now? She didn't want to let go, all he showed to her desperate behavior was a solemn smile and soft eyes which didn't water. She couldn't let him go on and risk dying, she'd rather have the police take care of his issues but he did have a point. So with a sunken heart she finally let go of him, gradually as if to savor the feeling. They both got up, Nathan stood and fixed his shirt as best he could with the tear stains and all. Aelita just backed off towards the bed, she cleaned her face to look as normal as possible so Hacker and his family wouldn't notice. But deep inside, the cruelty of life visited her again and made her want to weep. The pink haired girl started to walk to the door, head slung to the floor, then all of the sudden she found her self pinned aginst the wall so fast it made her eyes spin. Aelita was shocked out of her dark mood as the man's lips touched hers, he was alittle forceful but somehow she found it arousing and lovely.

They lip locked for a moment until he started to go further. He wanted to tongue wrestle so he gently bit her lower lip and got her to allow him in. The lovers swam in heated passion, hands moving along their bodies, the smacking of lips, and the soft quiet moan from Aelita. Both were enjoying themselves so much, they nearly went a step up had it been for the dogs on their street begin to bark.

Nathan stopped the intimacy and held her face so she could hear. The man rushed to the nearest window, not covered by wires, and looked out like a giddy kid hearing the sounds of an ice cream truck. The dogs barking was most unpleasant to Aelita's ears, there was more then ten houses and some of them had more then two dogs a lawn. Sadly the houses walls were paper thin.

She walked to the window Nathan was at and peered out with him. There in the street, two black SUV's, were driving really slowly with a menacing look. The windows were closed and tinted so dark neither of them could see in, the license plate was not on the back. That acknowledge further that these vehicles did belong to the Slave Trade besides their appearance.

"That's them, they are the ones who took my sister and who knows how many other girls. They still use the black color…" Nathan said stepping away and pulling Aelita with him.

"I'm sorry this has to come to this." She told him sorrowfully.

He kissed her once more for the last time, but with much gusto. She fell limp in his arms, and when he broke it.

"I love you." He said before opening the door and left.

Aelita felt a reimbursement of her courage and faith in him. As she followed, the dire time at hand seemed to feel like her and the gang when Xana was around. At times her faith was shaken, now it seems to be a repeat in history for everyone. This new modern day Xana would be struck in its heart for good.

Aelita arrived in the living room and found the guys looking severely relieved. The dogs were starting to calm down which meant the S.T.'s scouts were leaving.

"Aelita, I forgot to tell you that your cell phone won't work here because of Hackers shield system. That saved us from them finding the house their looking for, but they use a telephone so its over there you can use after I give the signal. You and the others should have no problem getting here and out." Nathan told her as he got ready to leave.

"Viper team is at the docks, number 21 B, you should find them there already prepared to go." Hacker told him extending a hand of goodbye.

"If this doesn't go well, tell my parents the truth of what I've been planning all these years. Tell the police who these men are and what you can offer them in that bargain my lawyer has ready. It is my word that no harm will come to you, thanks for everything Hacker." Nathan shook his hand heart fully.

"May this not be the last time we meet." Hacker said as he saw the man out the side door.

Nathan got in his truck and left fast so he wouldn't run into the black SUV's. He left for the cities docks which would take more then three hours. What he didn't know was that Hacker let Aelita call her friends just as he left. It was because he checked his system after a cool down and found that the S.T. knows about Nathan and those he associated with in his younger years and till just a couple of months ago. He thought since they turned up nothing here they'd go find the others.

"Aelita come in here quick!" Hacker yelled to her in his room.

She ran into the room alert and worried.

"What something wrong!" she asked hoping it wasn't about Nathan.

"I fear that your friends are in a greater danger then him right now. Call them." He handed her his headset and opened an internet phone to which she called the gang.

As the phone rang, "Is there something they have coming their way?"

"You have no idea." He sighed.

"Hello Jeremie, its Aelita." She said into the mike.

"Aelita! Where are you it's already two in the afternoon. You've been gone for hours are you hurt!" Jeremie sound so worried for her and his breathing was growing heavy.

"Jeremie, I want you to come and get me. Here are the directions…" she was cut off before she could unfold the piece of crumpled paper.

"Where did you and Nathan go, you should of called me at least at noon!" he acted over demanding.

"Look, according to his sources he's going to save his sister. Those who have her might be going to find you so leave the school as fast as you can and…" Aelita told him the directions and instructed him to take everyone with him.

Jeremie agreed and told her they'd be there soon and he hung up.

"I take it you have another boy crazy about you huh?" Hacker joked taking back his headset.

"You don't know the half of it. I just hope they get here before they find them." Aelita sat on the bed falling down.

The University

"Guys, I need you all to come with me to get Aelita now, go get your stuff." Jeremie told the gang fast and panicking.

"Oh no, they're coming to get us…" Kila gasped.

"I'm not letting them take anyone." Ulrich shot up with his hand balled up into a fist.

"Ya, but lets just leave." Odd joined.

The others agreed and left the library to the parking lot, but Jeremie paused in his tracks almost having the others bump into him.

"Something wrong?" Odd asked whispering.

"Shhhhhhh…" Jeremie waved two fingers to the hallway they were just about to enter.

Yumi, Terra, and Ulrich peered with one eye into the hall and saw several men looking around at the far end. After their brains burned their faces into stone they receded into the library again.

"Guys, look out the window see if there's anyone out there." Jeremie told Guerrmo and Odd.

The two didn't see anything out of the ordinary which made the front part of the school clear. Terra in the mean time drummed up an idea, she told everyone they should dress up in the old costumes in the book storage room used for the Drama classes play on "The Sword in the Stone".

"Ewww, these robes smell like moth balls." Kila complained.

"Just put it on and hold the candles. Act like a Drama student and chant something monk-like." Terra sternly said to her friend.

"Odd your hair seems to really fit the top portion of the costume really good." Guerrmo said seeing the point at the top end making the purple loving guy look like the Grim Reaper.

"I'd make one hell of a Death." Odd grinned.

"Come on lets move and get out of here!" Yumi said irritated at the boys loss of focus.

Jeremie lead the way out of the library and to the nearest outside door. The men took one look at them and walked away. Outside, the sun was shining and the heat was oven-like which felt worse since the monk costumes were dark grey in color. Odd and Kila kept their complaints to themselves so they wouldn't give off their position. Their bodies quickly heated up and sweat began to drip from their chins.

Ten minutes of slow walking and chanting and the gang made it to their cars. But they still kept their charades going until they got in. They left in two cars and turned their AC to blasting coolness.

"Oh god I've never felt so hot!" Kila panted out.

"I know, I guess those old sayings where right. You could kill yourself wearing black all the time." Yumi chuckled to herself.

"From these directions it will take us a little while before we get to Aelita. Ulrich and the others will follow us in their car." Jeremie said to Yumi.

"This is all getting really confusing." Kila said taking off her robe.

"Ya but it seems that hell's gates have opened by a crack." The blonde boy spoke grimly.


	48. Chapter 48

Fighting for Life

The small green truck finally made it to the docks coming to a screeching hault. Though the time it took to get there the sun was starting to set and some lights of the harbor were blinking on in the shadows of the large storage hangers. Nathan sat in the truck looking to make sure that this was the right place, he even double looked at the dock name and searched three times before getting out.

He pulled the seat back and took out some papers Hacker had printed out for him awhile ago. Just as he closed the door and turned around, one of the Team Vipers men was right there. His icy stare scared the living crap out of Nathan as he fell to the seat.

"Don't do that!" he had his hand on his chest.

"Your Nathan H. right?" the A.S.T. mercenary asked.

The Merc was dressed in full body armor and armed with a strapped sub machine gun. The chest armor looked like a regular vest at first, with all the pockets and zipper jacket. Though his legs were padded by Riot Police issued protection pads and he had a state of the art special forces radio head set. But the overall face of a gun veteran made the suit perfect.

"Yes where is Cap. Viper?" Nathan asked regaining his composure.

"She's inside come follow me." The man said turning to the dock hanger and walking to it.

Nathan followed but his eyes were alert to all around them, hopefully there was no one tailing him here. Or else their plans would be scrapped. Thankfully he saw nothing except the small cameras at the far corners of the hangers roof edges. The Merc stopped at the left side of the doors and operated a hidden retinal scanner. Upon looking in, the huge doors budged open just enough for one man to enter at a time. He let the Merc go first and then followed, inside only the center lights and the far back stairs to another portion of the Storage facility had any lighting.

The young man walked half into the place and stopped at a table with many papers spread across it. Those papers were highly detailed schematics of the Check-in point they would enter soon. When Nathan stopped gazing he pulled out the papers he brought and held them at the ready. He was told to wait a minute as the Merc talked into his head set.

"Cap. we have the guest inside and he's got some more info with him." He said and received garbled replies.

The mercenary looked to Nathan and nodded, just about the same time the far end door opened. Four mercenary's came out and walked down the stairs heading to the two in the center. They were Cap. and a three others like the one by him following unarmed.

"Well, I finally get to see the man behind this mission. I must say, you are a victim of the most devious S.T. cartels, this will be fun." She said cheerfully leaning on the desk of papers.

"I have the targets info, where the girls are being held, and the number of guards to add to your information you must already have." Nathan said emotionless.

The woman looked through the papers fast as if she were scanning it by memory. She then threw the papers to the desk and pulled out a PDA that she used for the next five minutes or so.

"Okay your facts have been put into the equations and I expect us to get in and out without any loss. Our sniper will take care of the outside escapees should anything go array and we will deal some death to these animals. Been quite some time since I've received such a big assignment, usually its just a small group trying to take a school sized amount of girls but not an entire hanger of high ranking S.T.'s. I'll let you kill the leader if you can." She laughed a little.

"Glad to be of help, they say your squad is the best of the best to the Anti Slave Trade Organization." Nathan commented them.

"We've killed and captured many criminal rings in our time yes, but this will take the cake. I want to see these men die as much as you, we all know they'll just command the cartel from prision so why not stop them in their tracks. It's a dirty job but someone's got to rid this world of the underground evils." Cap said as she went up to him and put an arm around him.

"When will we head out?" Nathan asked feeling unsure.

"We'll move when I've seen how good you are with guns. Come…I've got a training room with all the weapons you'll be using." The female mercenary led him up the stairs and the room she came out of.

After going in and through three more doors, they went into an indoor shooting range and Cap. watched the young man perform gradually greatly. But in the end, she only issued him the gear the Mercs wore and a HK-G36k as his weapon. They walked through the plan and tactics once they got into the check-in buildings proximity. Just a simple walk in the park, as everyone would go to a specific spot inside after covertly taking out the guards and sealing the entrances. Then establish a firm connection before opening fire on the S.T.'s to rescue the girls likely held up in the basements and boiler rooms. After all have been killed and the girls released the police would be contacted and arrive on scene just after the whole squad left with Nathan and his sister.

Taking every possible outcome into play, the only fear in this was the Slave Traders having body guards inside. They would pose the most troublesome problem, since they'd be in full body armor and armed with heavy stuff there was a raise in the possibility of death.

Nathan accepted the chance and so packed up and jumped into the squads vehicle. A normal looking 2006 VOLVO XC90 but converted inside to hold the squad and their equipment.

Hackers House

Jeremie and Ulrich reached the house after some time just before Nathan got to the docks. They felt what Aelita felt seeing the dogs, but upon reaching the house and seeing Aelita they all forgot about them.

Jeremie swerved his car onto the drive way and jumped out leaving the engine on. He rushed to Aelita and literally hugged her as they spinned, her legs never touched the ground.

"Oh Aelita….I'm so happy your okay!" Jeremie cried out as he began to cry tears of joy.

"It's good to see you too!" the pink haired girl giggled.

"Aelita!" the others said coming out of the vehicles and racing up to the two.

"Guys, guys calm down I'm safe." She said trying to regain her balance after being spun around.

That was when Hacker came outside still having his shot gun by him. That completely put Jeremie on the defensive and pushed himself in front of Aelita. He gave such a death glare to the informant, but he'd been though enough in life that the blonde boy didn't scathe him.

"Jeremie stop, that's Hacker. Nathan's friend, he's kept me safe ever since I came here. You can trust him." Aelita told Jeremie with a scolding tone.

At first Jeremie didn't want to move, but when the girl forced him to face her he understood everything. To what he didn't know.

"Well where is Nathan?" Yumi asked as the others gathered around.

But Aelita didn't respond, instead she looked away like someone had died and her friends didn't know. The others looked puzzled when she didn't answer them, so Hacker filled them in coming down to the gang.

"He's off to save his sister, even if his life is at the cost." The shotgun toting man said, his face didn't show anything.

"What do you mean at the cost of his life?" Odd asked.

"Ya, what's going on?" Ulrich and Guerrmo joined.

"Long story short, he's found where those men are and where his sister is. She's still alive and he's going to kill the Slave Traders." Aelita sighed leaving to Jeremie's car, "Can we just go already, the Traders might still have their scouts out on the streets."

"Oh ya, come one lets leave now!" Odd and Kila darted to the car as well.

"But..?" Yumi and everyone else was lost to the whole picture but understood the danger they were in.

They all embarked and started to leave the street, when Jeremie asked something.

"Aelita…?" he asked looking at the trees and houses pass by.

"Yes." She replied looking out her window.

"….never mind." He didn't bother to ask what he wanted to know.

The gun fight

Nathan called Hacker before they arrived, he only knows as far as now that everything was going as planned. Cap. parked the Volvo behind a few large stacks of crates and got out. There was no need for any words, they reviewed their orders and strategy still fresh in their minds. One of the Merc's, the one putting together a sniper rifle, loaded up some ammo and left for a perfect nest to get situated. While Cap., Nathan, and the other Merc's armed and headed out to clear the place of guards.

Nathan found several patrols and took them out as Cap. had told him to. Two in the chest one in the head, the bullets made their marks and the men fell to the ground. But he didn't delight in the kills, there were still more out there.

Cap. ahead of everyone took out the cameras outside and seven guards sent out to fix them. Her team mates killed everyone in the front parking lot and took care of the front doors with an aggressive sealant. Nathan did his doors and dispatched several guards there as well, he reloaded his first mag due to his accurate shooting. But that wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for his anger and hatred towards the S.T.

Once everyone was taken out, the sniper kept an eye through the windows of the warehouse and killed any new comers to the gathering obviously late. His silencer attachment kept the gun hidden from ears as the bullets traveled through the windshield and doors with deadly accuracy.

Nathan heard the faint rifle fire before heading in and sealing the door. A grin spread across his face, after doing his second objective he headed up a latter to the catwalks in the top. He did his best to minimize the sound of his boots clatter up the latter and on the catwalk above the gathering. They all had to be fast because some of the inside security was feeling the loss of communications outside. Only a matter of time before they figured out they had intruders.

"Nathan to squad, I'm in position." He said into his head set.

"Cap. here, so is everyone else but we have a problem. The leader had four of those guards we didn't want, I'm afraid that this will not end well. But…everyone continue on and open fire on my mark and gather at the bottom after you've killed all the guests." Cap waited for all the guests to get into position, "Three…two…one…now."

Down below, the leader was taking a sip of some kind of wine when he heard sporadic gunfire blast into his ears. He saw the many visitors fall to the ground with a gunshot to the head and blood spray to the ground. His guard assembled around him in a protective cocoon of Kevlar. In a matter of two minutes all the guests and most of the inside security were killed dead on and the shooters disappeared.

"You and you search the place, I want you to find the gunmen and kill them." The leader commanded and the two bald men in black, armed with pistols, moved out.

The men didn't make it to the corner leading to the catwalk latter's before a round ball round under their feet. As they looked down and noticed that the ball was a fragmentation grenade, the frag detonated and flung them to their backs. The shrapnel punched through their bodies and literally put tens of marble sized holes in them. The smoke cleared after a couple of minutes of silence, only to be broken by the bullets wizzing by the guards heads from a stake of oil barrels.

"Take down those guards now!" Cap shouted.

The S.T. leader escaped the battle to the basement where the girls were at, he had a plan. But till then, the Viper team went into a furious gun battle with the guardsmen behind some crates or overturned tables. Nathan signaled to the others that their bullets weren't making any damage so, a grenade was more suitable to disperse them. He said this with his hand gestures and they all nodded to him.

"Cover fire!" Cap yelled as their guns poured onto the guards who immediately took cover.

Nathan unlatched the grenades and held them so that when they fell, they exploded a few seconds then. A way to avoid receive them back if one of those guards caught on. He sprung up and chucked two explosives between the two tables and one behind the crates.

"Fire in the hole!" he yelled as they ducked and a gruesome explosion rocked the building.

All they heard was the eruption and cries of pain that soon faded away. Cap. and her squad moved in and shot the occupied guards dead. When Nathan arose, he proceed onwards to the squad looking around for the leader. But they found no sign of him, so Cap ordered the search of the girls. The Mercs went to the boiler room and released the fear stricken young girls, trying their best to not let them see the dead bodies and blood. But when Nathan checked the basement door, he got a bullet to his left arm and fell down. The leader walked up with a girl in hand and his pistol aimed to her head. Cap. and the other Mercs brought their rifles to bear leaving them in a deadly stand off.

Nathan squirmed on the ground as the pain grew worse and blood spurted out. He felt the bone broken by the bullets impact so he didn't have any use of it. But through the intense pain, Nathan kept a hateful stare to the man.

"Well, well, well…if it isn't the boy Hernandez who's come to rescue his sister. I didn't expect you to come with these low brow Merc's or come at all." The old man snickered, "Seems someone has been a busy little bee. But I'm sure my men have already found you friends and are ready at my order to shot them."

"Why…why all of this!" Nathan growled.

"Because, I've got to make a living in this world. Oh and you should be grateful that I've kept your sister here, safe from most of the pain the others go through. I haven't touched her though but maybe my men might have had alittle fun…" he laughed evilly.

His words pierced the man's soul, that girl in his arms was his sister! He didn't even take that into account, she didn't look like the girl he knew back as a child. Time had its way with her, her black hair was hip long, skin lighter due to the time inside as his play thing, and her arms looked blotched with bruises. Nathan's anger was like throwing gasoline soaked logs onto an already bon fire sized flame.

"You dirty son of a bitch! The pain you have caused me and countless others will not go unpunished you hear me!" Nathan howled to him getting up staggering.

"What are you going to do, shot me?" the old man scoffed.

"No he's gonna beat the crap out of you." Cap. said as she accurately fired and shot the S.T. leaders hand dead on.

The pistol fell to the ground and fired off into the walls as it bounced, the leader found himself tackled by the injured young man. The young girl fell off to the right and after she hit the ground she watched in fight. Both had one arm disabled and viscously trying to kill each other. The two men fought with punches, jabs to the face mostly, attempts to the eyes, and kicks or knees to the body. They tumbled around the floor, Cap. and her men stood watching incase this didn't end well they'd be the killer.

However, that was not needed after Nathan rolled the leader onto an old nail from the girders and gained an advantage. Nathan grabbed a rusty pole lying on the ground and had it hovering just above the leader.

"You gave me something through all of this…my sister back into the family, my family back, and a special someone. I'll leave this with you as you die!" Nathan jabbed the pole into the man's neck.

The sharp rusted end went in easily and blood gushed out of the wound. The Slave Trader gurgled on his own blood as his eyes opened wide with pain and soon closed for good. When the victorious man stood up groggily he reached for his gun, pulling it to bear with one arm he unloaded the entire mag into the dying but now dead man. His blood pooled around in a dark red blobby shape. Nathan just stood there trying to calm his avenged rage and anger. That was when Cap. got a call from their sniper on a roof.

"Sir, I missed someone. They jumped out of an open window and took off!" one of her Mercs told her.

"Dam, call the police now tell them the appearance of the vehicle now!" Cap raised her voice and ran to Nathan.

"Hey kid, someone's gotten through us. Don't worry we got the police on the way. But we need to leave before they do arrive." Cap. said to him as she pulled him away.

"My sister! Sister!" Nathan smiled looking hopefully at the girl getting up.

She ran to him and both went into a deep embrace. Their eyes poured tears of so much unbridled joy from so long of separation. That smart girl he knew grew up, seemingly cared for to the extent she deserves but with some old marks of past resistance. But her brother didn't bother with that, instead he kissed her on the forehead and had her jump on his back as they left the building littered with bodies. The girls were led to the front just before the squad exited the area, their sniper stayed to ensure their safety. As they reached the docks were the waves mildly crashed the sea wall, his sister looked out with amazement at the world she was so long ago taken from. The colors of the world delighted every sense organ she had and almost overwhelmed her.

"You think this is beautiful, just wait till you see this wonderful girl who has kept me sane for the past years. She has pink hair and I'm sure your eyes will fall in love with this girl, a real angel if you ask me." Nathan giggled to her as they neared the car.

"I have missed a lot, I want you and this girl to help me learn it all after we see our parents and family." She said happy to no end.

"Our family will stop quarreling once they see you." Nathan told her putting her in the far back seat before getting in himself.


	49. Chapter 49

Rescued now Resting

The gang went to the cities police headquarters for safety till they found it safe to go back to the university. They told the police everything only to be told that they knew about the slave traders but that they could do nothing. Aelita kept the facts about Nathan a secret, however, he didn't give the last call she waited for. Hacker contacted her that he gave the signal but since then hours passed uneventfully.

And as the others talked amongst themselves the pink haired girl sat by a window and looked out thinking. She wondered why on such a day it was sunny, there was nothing to be happy about. Its been some hours now and the sun was drawing to the other side of the world. How is Nathan doing, did he find his sister, did they all live or was one of them killed, will she ever see him again?

Questions racked her mind and kept her distant from the others. Jeremie even noticed her troubled mind and figured what was bothering her. He couldn't help her though, what could he say without sounding like someone who didn't like what she was thinking. So the blonde boy stayed with his drink and continued conversating, watching the girl who use to be the love of his life drift away from that position.

The orange red light glazed her body with a dull essence that complemented her pink hair, only the outer shell of the true goddess there.

It was when the sun darkened into night life when the gang started to leave.

"Well the police checked the whole school over and under with dogs and specialists. There are no tracking devices, cameras, or hiding scouts on the campus, they've checked everyone and have given the okay to go back." Ulrich said coming from the office of a detective.

"All right, finally we can go back and get something to eat! All of the vending machines were empty two hours ago." Odd sighed getting up from the visitors couch.

"Ya cause you ate them dry." Yumi mumbled.

"I can whip us up some grub when we get back?" Kila asked everyone also getting up and stretching.

"Ya that sounds good."

"Great."

"Cool, then I'll get started and you all can wait in the bakery as I make the meal." The purple haired girl smiled sweetly.

Aelita rose up and didn't bother to act normal, she didn't have it in her. So when Yumi saw her sad as she was, the tall raven haired woman went up to her and became her mother figure. The others sort of quieted down when they saw Yumi comfort their princess.

As the gang started to leave the police department they all got goodbyes from the fellow officers and best wishes along the way. Not that it didn't help the sulking friend at all, its just being remembered wasn't the best way to say bye.

They turned two corners and finally came into the lobby where the exit door stood. But something great happened just then, a rush of excitement formed within their bodies. Like seeing the return of someone from a once thought no return battle.

Aelita's eyes opened up wider then anyone had ever seen, she stood frozen in place staring where everyone was looking. Ulrich, Odd, and Guerrmo had their mouths ajar, while Jeremie and the other girl gasped. The person, or persons, just a few paces away who stood still and smiling warmly that got their surprise what non other then Nathan and his sister.

The boy had the young woman close to his age on his back with his arms holding her in position. When she jumped off, the black haired boy fell to the ground face down. All the energy was gone and his body had hit the wall long ago, only running off of air to get him there. Everyone was mesmerized seeing their friend alive and with his sister he vowed to save.

Aelita was the first to rush in and flip him onto his back, checking him over for injuries. She did find one, his left arm was wounded pretty bad and the clothing around it was bloody like a water balloon hitting a bed spread. Aelita dared not touch it fearing making the injury worse, so she took out a small dark blue cloth from her pocket, recently acquired as a gift by the P.D., and wiped away the sweat from the man's face. He was practically sleeping on the floor exhausted to the max.

Before anyone knew it the gang, the police, and Aelita were seeing to the siblings health. In a matter of minutes there were taken by an ambulance and to the hospital, both he and his sister were placed in the same room for monitoring. In the mean time, after the tubes were hooked up, the I.V.'s set up, and meals given. The rescued woman talked with the gang with a ginger spirit, she took quite an interest in Odd's style of hair, the uniqueness of Ulrich and Yumi especially, and the special someone her brother told her of. She was so full with questions that it seemed like to Ulrich, Yumi, Odd, and Jeremie that she was like Princess on her first day out of Lyoko.

Upon waking up, Nathan felt happy accomplishing his goal in life and chuckled at the child-like behavior and inquisitiveness his sister showed. Aelita sat by Kila when she noticed the hero of the day awake and giggling, so she rose up and went to the bed side.

"The doctors said she's okay, but the police will have to take her into questioning when she gets out." She looked off to the second bed where their friends now gathered around, "You on the other hand have for one a broken arm, two a good amount of blood loss, and three you didn't call me back after you know what."

He didn't stop smiling and looking to his sister, the unmatched joy didn't allow for guilt. When he turned to look to her he saw she wanted a response like a mother who tried to scold him.

"I forgot to call because…I was telling my sister about the world and what she missed. And about you…" he chuckled again not afflicted by her worry.

"Oh where is Aelita?" the woman asked sticking her head above the crowd, interjecting into their conversation.

"I'm right here." Aelita said kindly as she peeled away her fustrated self.

"Are you going to be my big sister? My brothers told me a lot about you, and I wish to learn about life with you too." The long haired girl grinned with innocence which still existed through her traumatic life.

Now Aelita is at most the same age as her brother so technically she is a big sister to her, even though she didn't know her at all. The child-like woman's smile and cheerful desposition made Aelita go with the flow. Casting away any saved angery towards Nathan, she put a hand on his as she answered back.

"Sure, I'll be your big sister." The pink haired girl nodded.

Odd and Kila jumped up and cheered in the excitement, Nathan's sister mimicked their actions which made three Odds now. The room stayed in a good mood throughout the rest of the next few days.

The End of Education

Seasons came and went, events arrived and passed, classes were succeeded with high scores, and the gang enjoyed time together. Almost everyone except Ulrich, Terra, and Guerrmo graduated. Mostly due to their careers which demanded more time and more courses before they could find a job with the top degrees behind them.

However, as for the rest they took a hold in life and began to sprout out. Odd took up his musical talent and became an aspiring guitarist. Kila, of course, worked to get her own cooking show on a major TV network which showed her making delicacies and simple to make meals. Aelita graduated with the highest degrees in computer and technology fields so she got a job which allowed her to work at home. As for Yumi and Nathan, well they took up jobs in the medical field with her becoming a Doctor and he a registered nurse. So much success, Jeremie finished his education a year earlier before everyone else and took up a job for a corporation, taking most of his life with it.

Everyone remained the same people as they had been in school with the exception of Jeremie and Nathan. The two bitter rivals could now be told apart, Jeremie was a 24 hour computer person and his counterpart a nurse for the weeks all around.

It was Jeremie's choice in jobs that lead to the breaking of his bond with Aelita. Though their teenage years kept them together like man and woman, his work seemed like the axe to the final strand of bark of the falling tree. He had no time for her as he locked himself away working every single moment of his life. Closing himself off from the outside world as he use to when he tried to make her anti virus. Only coming out to use the bathroom and eat but other then that, no social life at all. So the two broke up after four months and Aelita headed off to seek her friends.

Yumi joined Odd and shared the rent, Ulrich accompanied her a month later. Nathan had an apartment next to them but moved out to buy a house. His job allowed him to spend two days off resting and bonding with his sister, so he needed a home all his own. Within two months, he found a decent house just a block down from the Apartment Complex at a reasonable price. His sister moved in with him so he could help her further understand the world and made a quick homely atmosphere out of the brick house. Not that their parents couldn't do the same thing, but she was so close to him they couldn't refuse.

Their new home was a one story house with brick walls, a fireplace, great landscaped lawns, and carpeted interior with white walls. The backyard had a fig tree as tall as the house blooming with ripe sweet fruit and large green leaves, hibiscus plants bordering the fences displayed big red flowers, and a nicely manicured lawn which was as green as the bay miles off. Their doors to the house were locked up with dead bolts and hard wood doors to prevent any break-ins just as a reminder to themselves.

Nathan did as Yumi had done and traded in his truck as she did with Ulrich's. Yumi and him grew closer to each other so much one could hear wedding bells. Nathan couldn't help but join Odd and tease them every now and then. Yumi bought a nice Sedan and Nathan a Ford 150 which made it so easy to go fishing on the weekends with the guys. The girls would occasionally accompany them but half the time they skipped the fishing trips and went to the mall. Life was good to them, no evils dared show their heads for now.

With all the progress and prosperity, Aelita showed up at the gang's apartment one week to crash in till she found a good house to buy. But that didn't take to long when Odd and Yumi and Ulrich pushed her to a nice brick house and knocked on its door. Their Princess was most perplexed but curious as to why they brought her here, and then the door opened to reveal a well groomed man who looked just as surprised as she did.

It didn't really amaze their friends to see both the two embrace each other and kiss like no one was around. What broke up the blind intimacy was the joyful laughter of Nathan's little sister running into the doorway and saying something out of her mind.

"Yay, I have a big sister now! Hey maybe you can get married and stay here with me and my brother for good!" the long haired girl made both of them look at her and back to each other blushing madly.

"Alright you love birds, can we go inside or are we going to just stay out here and sweat in this heat?" Odd joked around and they all entered the cool air conditioned home.

Yumi laughed at the idea Nathan's sister made and nudged Ulrich. When he looked to her, she winked and left him confused the rest of the day.


	50. Chapter 50

Well for those who I know read this, this story is finally finished. The last chapter to Can I Join You. Now I will move on to its sequel sometime soon. This story has gotten so many hits but not all have submitted a review. I'm happy for the hits alone so everyone who reads this stay cool and if you're a writer, keep on thinking.

Transition

Now living in the brick house, fully paid for, Aelita and Nathan and his sister, Nelly, partake in life's leisure. No one to harm them, no one to hurt their friends, just going about the house doing what normal people do.

Nelly was on the laptop on the bar playing some PC games and sounding out her emotions if something happened in game play. Aelita was coming in and out of the backyard checking out the Jasmine and Mountain Laurel plants in the perfect weather. The breeze kicked up every now and then with a neutral cool wash of air. A weak cold front just came in and the skies were baby blue with some clouds off in the distance. Birds chirped in the trees, squirrels scurried from tree to tree, and pigeons cooed as they looked for seeds. Aelita loved going outside and tending to the patio garden, since she worked at home in her spare time she could be a gardener. Inhaling the fresh air, Aelita came inside and closed the door and headed to the living room. Nathan was resting on the couch and watching the NHL when the pink haired woman entered.

"Hey, how's the garden?" he asked her smiling.

"Oh it's wonderful, the Jasmine smells so strong that I'm wondering if I should have you replant it where the dead Hibiscus is." She strolled over to him and sat close.

"You just tell me when ya want it done." He brought an arm around her waist and brought her into a kiss.

Aelita giggled at his playfulness, she returned the romance and leaned on him as they got more into the act. His hand that held the remote dropped it to grab hold of her, they completely forgot that Nelly was in the same room. Nathan began to kiss her neck and then went back to her lips for a challenge. Both broke away and looked into each others eyes, they wanted more. So when their lips touched, their tongues battled it out in a fierce make out. Both felt their bodies get warmer for some reason and their skin became more sensitive to the hands. Aelita laid on top of the man and had her arms around his neck and fiddling with his hair. Nathan's roamed with a mind of their own and were perched firmly on her chest. She moaned as their mouths still clasped to each other, lust would have taken seat if it wasn't for the abrupt phone call.

Like a hammer to a mirror, both snapped back to reality and Nathan grabbed the mobile phone ontop of the small table near them.

"May I ask who is calling?" his tone seemed well irritated.

Aelita still laid on him, messing with his hair and bored now that the phone took his time.

"It's Hacker, I'm sorry for disturbing you but you must know that the one who got away wasn't just anyone. It was the Slave Trader Leader's apprentice, he knows you and judging by the tags and info I have on him. Your going to be seeing him in the next two years, I've alerted the FBI already so don't be too worried. They'll be sending over a few undercover agents to ensure your safety very shortly." The informant told him fast and calmly.

"No…….I thought I was done with them." Nathan sighed and talked to himself.

"I'm sorry this had to happen, but whatever you do don't go out alone or anyone you know for that matter. I'll contact you again when I have more news, good luck man." Hacker hung up.

"Nathan what's wrong?" she asked unknowingly about what was to come.

"We missed one of the S.T. that day I rescued my sister……he's coming for me in two years." He put his hands to his eyes feeling stupid.

"Its not your fault, look as long as we all have each other and take precautions then they can't hurt us." She tried to brighten his spirit.

"Ya, I guess… Hacker said the FBI would be sending in agents to protect us and bring the man into justice. But I so highly doubt they could fulfill that." Nathan laughed nervously.

"Stop being so negative, we can prepare for them now, we have two years to do so. I'll be here for you and Nelly…don't forget about that." She said in such a graceful tone.

Nathan felt his worry and depression lift off his shoulder halfway. He had a special someone and his sister to look out for and he shouldn't act so vulnerable. Aelita looked at him with her enchanting eyes again and brought his spirits up, he hugged her strongly like she was going to be torn away from him.

"I promise you…I promise that no one will ever again take my sister from me, and my love." He squeezed her, she could feel his muscles wrap around her body.

Aelita felt like he was a child again, wanting safety in the warmth of a loved one. She welcomed his affections thus the two laid on the couch for a few minutes before getting up.

"I wonder if I can get a license for a shot gun?" he asked walking up to the TV and turned it off.

"I don't see why not?" Aelita replied.

"Hey, you should get a plasma singularity cannon like the one on my game!" Nelly said with much enthusiasm.

"I'll try to see if there's one." He smiled to the young woman who jumped up and down from hyperactivity.

"I'm thinking, with the extra rooms we have we can see if Yumi, Ulrich, and Odd would like to move in and pay rent." Aelita put her hand to her chin in a thinking style.

"If they wouldn't mind be protectors of their family, we should openly invite them." Nathan grinned wide.

"Oh, Ulrich can teach you some martial arts and help you learn close combat techniques." Aelita said as the idea hit her.

"Another good reason to have them live with us, this is a good sized house. Odd doesn't stay around much since he tours, Ulrich was still at the university so he'd be home everyday half the day. Oh and Yumi is a doctor so she'll work like what three days and stay home a couple of days then back to work? This is one good system for all of us, I'll go make the call to them!" Nathan dashed to the phone.

However in the process, the floor was just mopped and so it was very slippery dry. With his socks, he couldn't get traction and ran into the dining table with a loud noise as his body shoved the four legs backwards.

"Nathan! Are you hurt!" Aelita ran into the dining room with Nelly.

"Oh, brothers hurt I'll get the Iodine!" and she ran from the room.

"I'm fine, I'm fine just got a little to rushy and this is what I get." He chuckled as he picked himself up.

Aelita giggled now thinking of the accident as a funny predicament. She helped him to his feet and handed him the mobile phone that was in the living room where he left it, so he felt stupid having hurting himself for nothing.

At first, the three didn't accept the invite to live with them whole heartedly. But with enough coaxing by Aelita they broke down and decided to go with the option. Now all's that is needed is to help them move, just another accident prone moment waiting to happen.


End file.
